After joining the mountain search unit, quite some time has passed, and we’re still investigating.
I never thought it would take this long.
The Kaine Mountain Range turned out to have far more devil worshippers and experiments than anticipated.
Because of that, we’ve been engaged in battles nearly every day.
“Here it is.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Thanks to this, Gareth has been thriving.
Well, I keep bringing him materials, after all.
How much have I delivered by now?
I’ve become so accustomed to receiving pouches full of money that I don’t even react anymore.
“Are you doing alright?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, you come back injured every time.”
“I heal quickly.”
I brushed off his concern and covered the large wound near my collarbone with my collar.
This injury was from an ambush by some lizard-masked guy hiding in a tree.
It wasn’t a serious wound, and a visit to the infirmary would heal it quickly enough.
The devil worshippers we’re facing are becoming stranger by the day.
The mountain search unit has lost over half its members, forcing me to join the 1st unit with Locke.
Because of that, I’ve been doing reconnaissance in high-altitude areas—something I’d never imagined doing.
Anyway…
“Well, I’ll be on my way now.”
“Sure. Thanks for everything.”
As always, I packed up my pouch of money and left Gareth’s forge.
“Phew.”
Afterward, I stopped by a fancy patisserie, bought a ton of pastries, and returned to the mansion.
“Oh, Rain! You’re back?”
“Yes. Here, share these.”
“Wow!”
I’ve realized through trial and error that these pastries work wonders.
I handed them out to the maids, who accepted them with bright smiles, and then headed to the infirmary.
Knock, Knock.
“Is anyone there?”
-…Yes, come in.
A somewhat reluctant voice answered from inside.
“Would you like some pastries?”
“Show me your wounds first.”
…She’s sharp.
I guess I’ve been showing up too often lately.
Exploring the highlands inevitably leads to minor and major injuries.
My fighting style, which relies heavily on brute force, doesn’t help either.
“Here it is.”
“…Ugh!”
When I revealed the wound, the healer’s eyes widened in shock.
“What’s wrong?”
“What is this? It’s near a vital area!”
Whack!
She hit me on the back, though I didn’t think it was that serious.
If it had been a direct hit to a vital spot, I would have avoided it instinctively.
Besides…
“I have this, so I’m fine.”
I pointed to the necklace around my neck.
It was an artifact I received from Lorenz, designed to block one fatal injury.
Though, to be honest, I was starting to wonder if it was broken since it never activated.
Even when my stomach was pierced, an arrow lodged in my back, or like now, when a dagger grazed my collarbone—it never showed any sign of working.
“Just because it won’t kill you doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt!”
“I’m used to it; it’s no problem.”
I couldn’t imagine Lorenz giving me a fake artifact, so I figured it was because I was careful enough to avoid truly life-threatening situations.
“If you come back more injured next time, I won’t treat you!”
“That would be troublesome… Here, take some pastries and forgive me.”
“I don’t want them…! Well, maybe just one.”
In the end, the healer treated me while grumbling and happily munching on pastries.
Later.
Leaving the infirmary, I headed to the doghouse in the garden.
Clang!
There was an actual dog—a small white one that had grown to the size of a toy breed by now.
“Have you been well?”
Since the investigation had kept me away for a day, the pup greeted me enthusiastically.
It rubbed its little head against me, showing why the maids adored it.
“Have you gained weight?”
I picked up the fluffy pup.
Its fur was so soft it felt more like a Pomeranian than a wolf.
“It’s just fluff.”
As I contemplated putting Whitey on a diet, a familiar voice came from another part of the garden.
“Oh, Lowell.”
“Was the investigation successful?”
“Same as always.”
I set Whitey down to answer, but…
Chomp!
The pup clamped onto the hem of my pants, clearly asking to be held again.
“This one’s teeth have grown quite a bit.”
It couldn’t even bite properly before, but seeing this made me realize how much it had grown.
“I’m considering hiring the trainer I mentioned before.”
“The wolf trainer from the north?”
“Yes. Whitey’s been chewing up everything in the garden lately.”
“Must be teething.”
Still, chewing on everything is a bit much.
Whitey needs proper training, or this might get out of hand.
The Boyd family’s garden alone must be worth a fortune.
I’m genuinely afraid I’ll have to pay for the damages later.
Am I going to blow all the money I earned from Gareth on this?
“By the way, Rain.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“You can stop the investigations now.”
“Oh, really?”
“Lorenz’s side says they’ve gathered enough information.”
Hmm, is that so?
Well, I suppose we’ve covered quite a lot.
I’ve scouted so many trails by now that I’ve practically memorized the mountain paths.
Still…
“I’d like to go out a few more times.”
“Any particular reason?”
“It feels like we’re almost done.”
I didn’t mention it to Gareth, but honestly, I feel like this task is nearing its end.
We’ve already scouted most of the areas, and what’s left are the major points.
If we can sweep through what we suspect to be the devil worshippers’ main base, this long blockade of the mountains will finally be over.
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry.”
I gestured to my equipment as I replied.
“I’m a lot more prepared now.”
I wasn’t the same as when I first joined—armed only with a buff coat and Gareth’s sword.
Now, I’m equipped with rewards from the missions and spoils from our raids.
Beneath my coat, I wear a sturdy vest, and I carry throwing daggers at my belt as backup weapons.
On top of that, since I’m temporarily part of the mountain search unit, I’ve even been issued my own mountain gear.
And most importantly…
“I’ve improved a lot from all this experience.”
The job is dangerous, but it’s great training.
You can’t help but grow when you’re fighting in real battles every day.
“By the way, when this is over, the royal family will reward us according to our contributions.”
“I’ll look forward to that.”
Though it wasn’t my original intention, I ended up being part of both the start and finish of this mountain investigation.
With this level of contribution, I should receive a handsome reward.
And since I’m here under the Boyd family’s name, there’s no risk of my compensation being withheld.
“Well, I have two days of rest, so I’ll take it easy.”
With that, I headed into the doghouse.
Before the final battle, I planned to relax and rest as much as I could.
“By the way, the trainer will be here tomorrow. You’ll meet them then.”
“So soon?”
As I was settling in, Lowell brought it up.
The trainer?
That one he mentioned earlier?
They’re coming this quickly?
“I called them last week, so they should arrive around now.”
Ah, he had arranged it in advance.
Well, the sooner the trainer comes, the better.
“Whitey’s in trouble now.”
I said this while looking at Whitey, who had followed me into the doghouse.
From Whitey’s perspective, it’s like a teacher is coming.
His days of playing around all day are over.
“I’ve hired someone quite promising.”
“Promising, not experienced?”
For a family as influential as the Boyd family, shouldn’t they be able to hire a wolf trainer with 30 years of experience?
If they’re “promising,” they’re probably young—can they really handle the job?
“The Boyd family prefers young talent. There’s energy that comes with youth.”
“Now that you mention it…”
Darren, Kaiden, even my instructor Eric—they were all fairly young.
The maids, too, seemed younger than their experience would suggest.
“What about you, Lowell?”
One question suddenly came to mind.
Isn’t there someone here singlehandedly skewing the average age of the estate?
I pointed it out and asked him directly.
And then…
“Step outside. Your training seems to have been lacking.”
“Hey, I’m injured! No sparring today!”
Lowell, visibly offended, tried to drag me out of the doghouse, but I curled up inside to avoid him.
I wasn’t about to let him win this one.
“We should’ve hired the trainer sooner. The pup’s grown too much.”
“Whoever trained them didn’t do a great job.”
“Maybe we should tear down the doghouse.”
“…That’s a joke, right?”
Anyway.
That day, I spent most of my time resting.
The next day…
“Hello! I’m Sienna, the new trainer!”
Just as Lowell mentioned, the wolf trainer arrived at the estate.
“Oh, hello.”
“Where’s the pup I’m training? Is it over there?”
“Uh, well…”
Was this really the trainer Lowell had found?
For a moment, I doubted my eyes.
This trainer, supposedly hired by Lowell, had an appearance that was… flashy.
With black and green two-toned hair, a strikingly flashy look, earrings resembling piercings, and attire that didn’t fit the rugged northern image I’d imagined—it was far from what I expected.
And above all…
“You should start by training this person.”
“Wha—? Are they a wolf?”
Her surprised reaction to Lowell’s joke only made me doubt her even more.
Where exactly is the “promising” part in this trainer?
She looked like she’d be the one getting bossed around by the wolves.
“…Wait, is he beastfolk?”
“No, let me introduce you to Whitey.”
“What a cute name!”
Well, I trust Lowell wouldn’t bring someone completely unqualified.
Leading Sienna, I took her to the doghouse.