Chapter 23: 23 – Kawa, the Elemental Wolf

The three of us return to Cynderace with an extra member in the party. I already know walking into the city with Kawa as a wolf will be a bad idea. A wolf is one thing, but an elemental wolf is another. While we're still outside the city perimeter, I have Kawa transform into her humanoid form.

"I get that your regular form is a wolf, but when we're walking around the city you gotta stay like this. Got it?" I ask to make sure.

"Kawa stands on two feet inside, four outside. Understood, Master!" she nods enthusiastically as her tail.

I take a hard look at Kawa who is completely naked. Unlike humans or elves, her skin takes on an abnormal grey tint. Even beastfolk like Frey have normal skin color. What tufts of fur she has in this form only covers her forearms and legs, including the mane around her neck.

"Keep this on." I throw my jacket around her. Despite being a few inches taller than Loraine, it's long enough to cover her knees. She'll look out of place, but at least she won't be naked.

Kawa raises the sleeves up to her nose. "Ooooh. Smells like Master!"

"You let Yui and Kawa wear your jacket, but I haven't worn it once," Loraine says, pouting.

"We sleep next to each other at night and that's not enough for you?"

Fortunately we don't draw too much attention in the city. Plenty of demihumans of the beast variety makes Kawa a dime a dozen. For whatever reason, a lot of beastlings make a wide berth around us, or avoid us entirely. Which isn't really an issue, the only problem is Kawa won't stop getting distracted.

 "What's that smell?" Kawa's head snaps to a mutton shop. "Kawa sees meat—"

I stand between her and the meat shop. "Kawa, stay. Behave."

When a caravan of wagons rush past us, Yui and I have to hold Kawa back from chasing after them.

"Don't chase the carts! The drivers will think you're trying to steal from them," I say, chopping her on the nose.

Her ears and tail droop a little. "O-Okay."

We make a stop by the guildhall to report the completion of our quest and to receive the reward. However, as soon as we're through the door, several of the members make themselves smaller or back up further into the room. 

Frey's feline ears poke out from beneath the counter.

I glance over top. "Playing hide and seek?"

"Mraa… I suddenly got the urge to hide when you guys walked in. Who… Who's that?" Frey asks, pointing to Kawa.

"I'm Kawa!" she exclaims.

Frey cautiously crawls out of her hiding place and circles around Kawa, sniffing her. Kawa does the same, and the two of them start wandering around in circles smelling each other's rear end.

"Someone wanna explain to me why you're sniffing each other's ass?" I ask the room.

Frey jolts up, apologizing. "Nyahaha… force of habit. This girl's got the scent of an apex predator on her. Was she helping you guys subdue the elemental wolf?"

"No, she is the elemental wolf," Yui, Loraine, and I say at once.

All the blood drains from Frey's face. She and the other beastling members in the guild drop to the ground, belly up and white as a ghost.

Kawa bends down to pet Frey on the head. "Hm? Did Kawa win?"

"Ahaha… mew…" she whimpers in return.

It takes one hell of an explanation to calm the whole guild down. Apparently beastlings can instinctively sniff out the relative strength of their fellows and other beasts. A survival mechanism that helps them avoid predators stronger than them. According to Frey, the elemental wolf we brought back is at the top of the food chain.

That explains why people were avoiding us.

"I'm glad that you guys resolved it without hurting each other too bad, but… bringing the elemental wolf back isn't what I had in mind," Frey says as she signs off the completion of our quest. She then pushes three pouches bursting with coins across the counter. "I've already deducted the guild cut."

We split the reward money three ways— Loraine, Yui, and myself. 

"Any more personal requests I should be aware of?" I ask Frey.

She shakes her head. "Nope. Prince Kain did come looking for you the evening you left. Might wanna check what that's about."

"I have to explain Kawa to him sooner or later." I sigh.

Frey grabs Yui as we're leaving. "You aren't weaseling your way out. The grunt work is done, but we still have work that only the guild leader is authorized to do."

"Eh— b-but my day off…?" Yui stammers, flailing in Frey's grasp.

"You spent your day off, now it's back to work!" Frey snarls, dragging Yui by the leg back into the guild hall.

"Nooooo! Anego!"

I throw Yui a thumbs up. "You heard the lady. Be a proper functioning member of society, guild leader."

When we get home, there's someone in our yard tending the garden bed. At a second glance. It's Kain, not in his usual armor or casual blue and gold tunic, but in a simple shirt and farmer's hat. He gets up to take a breather and sees us coming home.

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I give Kawa some instructions before we get too close. "Okay, first— don't sniff Kain's ass like you did with Frey. Actually, don't sniff anyone's ass."

"But how will Kawa make friends with people?" she asks seriously.

"Normally."

"Lady Micchi! Lady Loraine! I'm glad to see you both in good health," Kain says, wiping the sweat from his recently tanned face. He sees Kawa and offers a hand. "And you've brought a guest? I am Prince Kain—Ow, ow!"

Kawa grabs his hand and squeezes. "Kawa!"

"You out here picking daisies?" One look around, and I can tell there are plenty of new flowers that weren't here when we left. In fact, the yard was previously just cut grass. Now there is a whole rainbow of flowers leading up to the house.

"Trying my hand at a new hobby. Turns out, I have quite the green thumb." He waves a hand across our yard like he's showing off a new car.

My impression of him being a royal prince gets shattered with each passing day. 

"Anyway, don't freak out. I brought home an elemental wolf." As I say that, Kain pauses for a moment and then bursts out laughing.

"Ahh, I see this must be one of your other world jokes." He wipes a tear from his eyes and then falls into thought. "Bringing home dangerous creatures is a common gag, yes? Maybe I can scare my sisters one day telling them I brought home an adult dragon—"

"It'll be faster if I show you." I coat Sacchan in ice and toss it to Kain. "Kawa, fetch."

Kain stares at the bat in his hand confused.

"Fetch…? What are you—?!" The rest of his sentence is cut short by Kawa slamming into him in full wolf form. "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHH! HELP ME!"

The two of them roll around in the flowerbed, ruining Kain's freshly planted handiwork. Well… it's more like Kawa is tossing him around like a ragdoll, and he's panicking, curled up in the fetal position with Sacchan hugged to his chest.

"P-Prince Kain! Bad Kawa, down!" Loraine goes to help, and manages to scold Kawa off of him.

***

Maybe it's because Loraine and Kawa are mages, but the two of them get along really easily. Whenever Loraine gives her an order, she listens. When I try to give Kawa an order, she thinks we're playing.

Even now Kawa sits obediently by the hearth in her humanoid form as Loraine brushes her hair. Loraine even lets Kawa lick at her face. It would have been fine if Kawa was in wolf form, but in the appearance of a grown woman— I'm feeling guilty having inappropriate thoughts.

Damn it. When did I become a horndog?

This has got to be Loraine's influence.

Kain returns with a tray of tea. He's less afraid of Kawa now that she isn't taking the form of a vicious wolf.

"You may want to have Lars fashion her a set of armor," Kain says, taking a seat next to me and offering a cup.

"Later. I'm freaking beat."

The aroma of mint and chamomile tea is slowly removing my impure thoughts. It tastes as good as it smells. My exhaustion disappears almost instantly, making what I said to Kain a lie.

"Remember that concern I brought up when we were in the upper wards?" he asks.

I recall that day vividly. He's keeping it vague so Loraine doesn't catch on, but it doesn't seem like she's the topic. "The thing you and Mildred were going to take care of?"

Kain nods. He pulls out a white scroll that glows faintly of magic. Imprinted on it is a symbol of a clenched fist wreathed by two dragons. Something about their designs that I can't shake off. Both dragons have long nose hairs, like a fu manchu.

Where the hell have I seen those dragons before…?

I have seen it. The design is similar to the ones from China and Japan.

"One of our allies within the United Kingdoms of Dysentia— Amarinth, holds a trial of strength every six months to pit Dysentia's greatest heroes against each other. These battles are normally conducted in teams of two, but this year the number is raised to four. I'd like you and Lady Yui to participate alongside Mildred and myself."

"Is this the banner of Amarinth?" I ask.

Kain shakes his head. "The current reigning champion of the Lannarkis Ring commissions their own emblem to be sent out. This serves as an invitation to us to be combatants in their arena at Ash'tar."

"Wait. You telling me I get to beat people up legally?".

"Yes…" Kain answers, nodding. "If that is how you wish to put it. Amarinth respects strength above all else. Their current champion is so strong, the Emir of Ash'tar has acquired them to be his personal guard."

Goosebumps creep all over my arm. The way Kain is describing it, there's someone strong enough to be a big deal in a major kingdom like Scoth. 

"Why didn't ya say that in the first place? Yui and I will give them a fight to remember," I respond, unable to hide my smirk. 

Finally, somewhere to let loose. If there are people as strong as me and Yui in this world, they're bound to show up at this Lannarkis Ring. On top of that, I'll get to see how Mildred fights. There's nothing better than an all out brawl.