The Challenge

Sian smiled at the two children.

“It’s nothing.”

Even though he was flustered and didn’t know what to do on the inside, Sian pretended to be quite unfazed.

Theodore looked at Sian with a puzzled expression but said nothing.

He just turned his head and stared at Leon, who was nestled deep within Sian’s clothes.

When he was in the wolf form, it was too messy, so he couldn’t tell well, but seeing the clean hair, it was quite a deep blue.

Blue hair and navy eyes, like they held the deep blue sky.

But, perhaps because the humanization was still clumsy, the wolf’s ears and tail remained on his body.

“At this rate, the result will be obvious, even if we send him outside.”

Leon, no matter how he looked at him, was the perfect prey.

Not only was he young and couldn’t exert his full strength as a beastkin, but he also couldn’t fully humanize himself, making it obvious that he was a beastkin.

Even in animal form, his fur color was different from that of real wolves, so he would stand out in the eyes of the hunters.

For that reason, he was hesitant to send Leon out of the barrier right away.

While it was right to send him out considering the original work, it also didn’t seem good for education to heartlessly send out a child who hadn’t even properly dressed in front of Theodore.

“Do you remember where your home is?”

“……!”

Leon’s hometown was the beastkin kingdom. In the original work, Leon was a s*ave gladiator in an illegal arena before escaping.

He fought desperately only for the entertainment of the nobles and escaped after he came of age.

But he had become a s*ave from such a young age. At this rate, he might not even know where his hometown was.

“A very big… forest…”

“Forest?”

“Yes, a very, very big forest…”

“……”

So, what’s the name of that forest? Wouldn’t there have been a name for the area he lived in?

However, Leon couldn’t remember even the name of the place he lived in, and kept rambling on and on.

He seemed to have a bit of a slurred speech now.

Apparently, because he had only recently learned to speak after humanizing.

‘A very big forest…’

Indeed, he had heard that the beastkin kingdom was a vast forest area where animals could live well. If he didn’t know the exact location, it would be difficult for Leon to find it himself.

There was an episode in the original work where the protagonists go to the beastkin kingdom.

At that time, Leon, surprisingly, didn’t want to go back to his hometown.

The memories of his childhood were so faint, that he was afraid of being disappointed if he didn’t meet his family.

But of course, because it was a novel, chance-like situations kept happening, and Leon eventually reunited with his estranged family.

To follow that story, Leon especially shouldn’t go back to the beastkin kingdom right now. Sian’s head started to ache.

“First… if you have nowhere to go, will you come to our house?”

“Yes?”

“……”

Theodore opened his eyes wide as he asked back, and Leon, the person in question, tilted his head.

“House…?”

“Yes.”

“Our house…?”

“Well, not the house you used to live in, but the house where me and Theodore live…”

“……?”

Leon still seemed to not understand well. But, even while trembling, his eyes looking at Sian were full of hope.

Perhaps he heard it as if they were going to take him to his real house in the beastkin kingdom.

Wouldn’t he be disappointed if he went to another house like this?

Sian had no choice but to give Theodore a look. He thought that Leon would understand Theodore’s words better than his own.

But Theodore was looking at him with a reluctant expression for some reason. It was unexpected that he would like having a friend of the same age.

“Theo?”

“……”

He called his name softly and urged him again, and Theodore, reluctantly, opened his mouth.

“Your house is too far away, and you can’t go right now. You’re going to my house now.”

“Theo… house…?”

“Yes.”

“Uhm.”

Fortunately, Leon nodded, understanding. Sian let out a sigh of relief inwardly and heaved a sigh of relief.

He felt like he had become a wicked adult who lured and kidnapped a child who didn’t know anything, but he tried to erase that thought from his mind.

“Then, let’s go now.”

“Yes.”

“……?”

As Sian said, Theodore nodded and approached. And he naturally grabbed the hand Sian offered. It was because he knew well that Sian would use magic to go back.

Leon still couldn’t grasp what was going on and tilted his head.

Then, looking alternately at Sian and Theodore, he stared at Sian’s other hand that was outstretched.

After hesitating for a moment, Leon slowly approached Sian.

It looked as if a cat, who had been guarding humans, was finally letting down its guard and approaching them.

Although the situation was different, it felt like that, and Sian was a little amused.

“You might feel dizzy, so close your eyes tightly.”

“Eyes… tight…?”

“Yes, close your eyes tightly.”

“Tightly…”

Leon, speaking the words in a clumsy manner, closed his eyes tightly while holding his hand.

He looked so innocent, and Sian couldn’t help but chuckle.

“……”

Theodore’s mouth twitched. He wasn’t pleased with Sian’s attention shifting to Leon, who had suddenly appeared.

But not wanting to be disliked by Sian, he said nothing and just held Sian’s hand tightly.

“So, this time you picked up a puppy, is that it?”

“Wouldn’t it be better not to say things like that in front of the children?”

“Haa…”

As expected, as soon as they returned to the mansion, Kalli said something about Leon.

Sian pretended to cover the children’s ears as if to show it off. Kalli clicked his tongue with a displeased face.

“Why a dog of all things! Let the dog smell fill the house!”

“Leon is not a dog, he’s a wolf.”

“Dog or wolf, they’re the same!”

“No, they’re different!”

For a while, the two people had a childish argument. The children watching the two seemed even more mature.

Sian, who had been discussing the difference between a dog and a wolf for a long time, realized that fact after a while. Sian blushed, “Ahem,” and cleared his throat.

“Hmm hmm, he was a s*ave, so he’s pitiful.”

“You’re going to make a kingdom if you keep picking up such pitiful humans.”

“Even so, that would be difficult.”

“Haa…”

Sian answered nonchalantly to the sarcastic words. Kalli sighed deeply, feeling a bigger headache.

“I don’t know anymore. Do as you please.”

“Ah, wait a minute.”

Sian stopped Kalli, who was about to go back to the Dark Elf village. Facing Kalli, who asked back with a sharp tone as he turned around, Sian asked with a serious expression.

“What should we feed a wolf beastkin? Raw meat?”

“……”

Kalli stared at Sian with a look of, as if he was, puzzled for a moment. Beastkin could only eat raw meat when they transformed into animals.

He would cause a riot if he gave him something like raw meat, since he had transformed into a human, though still an incomplete form. Kalli frowned and answered.

“He’s human now. So you should give him cooked meat.”

“But he has ears and a tail?”

“Um, well…”

Only then did Kalli also look at Leon with a perplexed face. Leon, looking at the two of them, took a defensive stance, with his ears perked up.

But because he was still afraid of Sian, he only looked like a little kitten hissing.

Anyway, seeing Leon’s incomplete humanization, Kalli stroked his chin with his hand and said to Sian, after pondering.

“Still, he’s more than half human, so I think raw meat would be dangerous.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, maybe he wouldn’t eat the meat that’s too well-done, so let’s cook it rare.”

“Yes, I’ll leave it to you.”

“……”

He was being stopped again. Kalli regretted it after nodding to the natural flow.

But he thought it would be better than Sian messing up the kitchen, declaring that he would cook the meat with clumsy skills, so Kalli grumbled and walked towards the kitchen.

“Then, we’ll prepare dinner, so would you two like to go wash together?”

“Together?”

“Yes, Theo can help Leon, right?”

“……”

Theodore was still looking at him with a reluctant expression. Sian looked at Theodore, who was pursing his lips with a puzzled expression.

“Theo?”

After a while, Theodore nodded as if he never was that way.

“Yes, Master.”

Theodore, with a bright smile, grabbed Leon’s hand and pulled him.

“Come this way. This is the bathroom.”

“Uh, um…”

Sian watched the children holding their small hands with a pleased expression. He figured they would be close friends in the future, so it would be okay to get closer beforehand.

Leon was a character in the original work who valued friendship enough to go to the Outer Chamber with Theodore and Yurina.

He was definitely not a character who would harm Theodore. Sian turned around with a light heart.

Tap.

“Ugh…!”

As soon as the door closed, Theodore revealed his true colors.

He reached out his hand and pulled off the outer garment that was bothering him.

Leon, who was looking around the bathroom with curious eyes, flinched at the rough touch and waved his hands.

“Uaa…”

“Hey.”

“……!”

Theodore called Leon with a face that was completely stiff. Leon’s body trembled as if he was surprised at the low voice that was uncharacteristic of him.

Looking at Theodore with bewildered eyes, the eyes that looked better than when he was outside seemed a little eerie. Leon felt a sense of shrinking.

“Wh, why…?”

“Don’t flirt with Master.”

“Wh, what…?”

Leon was flustered at the unexpected words. More than anything, he couldn’t understand what Theodore had said.

What does it mean not to flirt? Human language is too difficult.

But from the harsh atmosphere, it seemed like it was bad. Leon, the beastkin, realized it instinctively.

‘Is this a pecking order battle…?’

Leon, who had come to a new house, naturally thought about the pecking order of this house.

The black human who radiated a terrifying aura would be the number one here, and the other big human would be second. And then…

‘He’s trying to pick a fight with me to maintain the pecking order.’

Leon put strength in his eyes.

He didn’t want his pecking order to be determined below a child smaller than him, even if it was other humans.

Leon bared his canines and growled softly.