Chapter 87
A child stealing meat because they are hungry is a crime. However, they aren’t sentenced to death for it.
That’s because it’s a pitiful situation.
‘But just because Bibi is a monster…’
Before he knew it, Guide’s vision blurred with tears as he tightly hugged the transport cage.
‘The butcher tried to drive Bibi away the moment he saw her. Then of course the, the Lady will also…’
It was only natural.
If the place for humans was the relatively warm Duchy within the North, then the place for monsters was the End of the World—the cold, treacherous lands beyond the Ice Wall.
But.
“…We’re very close.”
Despite everything, he couldn’t abandon the little friend who looked only at him.
“Bi-Bibi and I are very close…”
“How close? If you tell Bibi to sit still, can she do it?”
“If, if she’s full, and she’s used the bathroom, and her digestion is good, and it’s not a dangerous situation…”
Guide squeezed his eyes shut.
‘Bibi. Let’s go to the End of the World together!’
Making such a grim resolution in his heart, he cried out.
“Then, then she can sit!”
But in the end, overcome by sorrow and fear, he burst into a loud, sobbing wail.
Since he had claimed they were this close, she would surely cast him out beyond the Ice Wall along with Bibi.
How terrifying would that place be, crawling with monsters…
“Then, do you want to open the cage door?”
“…Pardon?”
While he was making a grim face, lost in terrifying imaginings, a warm question reached his ears, heating his heart. Guide opened his eyes.
Beyond his blurry vision, he saw clear red eyes meeting his own.
“I want to see her too. Your friend.”
‘…Friend?’
She called it a friend. A monster.
Guide was momentarily dazed to hear that secret term of endearment, which only he had insisted on, come out of someone else’s mouth.
And after a moment.
“Ah, yes. Yes!”
He nodded vigorously, bravely wiping his tear-filled eyes.
There was a reason I asked Guide to open the cage.
It wasn’t because I trusted the bond between Guide and the monster, nor was it because I had determined the monster wasn’t dangerous.
I simply, thoroughly trusted the information from the original novel.
“Th-then, I’ll open the door.”
Guide, who had been staring blankly with his mouth agape as if he hadn’t expected my suggestion, held out the cage.
Just as he was fumbling to open the door—
“My Lady. It is dangerous.”
The knight, who had approached us at some point, quickly stopped his hand.
“It might have been mere coincidence that it didn’t attack earlier. A Ferry is a dangerous creature that lunges for a person’s face the moment it sees them. In all my time subjugating monsters, I have never seen a docile Ferry.”
I stared at the knight and asked back.
“Did you guys attack the Ferries too?”
“Pardon? O-of course. We can’t just stand there while monsters lunge at us.”
“So you must have fought back. If someone drew a sword when you were about to offer a friendly handshake, you wouldn’t just stand there and take it like a fool, would you?”
“…That is true, but…”
He fell silent, chewing over my words. It was clear he was remembering what Guide had said earlier.
That a Ferry lunging at a face wasn’t an attack, but a greeting.
‘Hmm. I guess I’ll have to step in.’
I trotted over and gave a firm push to the back of the knight, who was blinking blankly.
“Now—if you’re confused, we can just find out! Our knight can wait over there for a moment!”
Though my strength was no match for his, he retreated obediently, uttering a confused “Uh…” at my command.
“Guide, keep doing what you were doing!”
Having moved the knight aside, I gripped Guide’s shoulders firmly—
“Yes…”
Guide, his eyes now sparkling, nodded and opened the cage door.
“B-but, I think Bibi is feeling a bit restless right now. She might just come flying out…”
He started rambling as if he were anxious himself, so I stopped him immediately.
“Ah. That’s fine.”
I have a way.
“You can just be the one to receive the Ferry’s greeting.”
As I said that, I hid myself completely behind Guide, who was crouching in front of the cage door—
“Kek!”
The moment the door opened, the excited Ferry lunged out and covered Guide’s face.
“Kyu!”
Expressing its delight, the Ferry climbed onto the crown of Guide’s head and began to dance vigorously, shaking its long body.
“Kyu, kyu!”
I tapped the tip of my nose as I watched the dancing fluffball.
…Mm. It really is cute.
“Bi-Bibi, now isn’t the time for this. There’s something you have to show the Lady…”
The Ferry, which had been dancing in excitement for a while, was caught by Guide’s hands and brought down to the ground.
Kneeling before it, Guide pointed at the floor and spoke.
“Bibi, sit.”
“Koot?”
The Ferry tilted its head at his command for a moment, then immediately planted its bottom on the ground and sat.
“?”
The mouths of the knight and May, who were watching, fell wide open.
I also watched the scene with interest.
And then—
“Bibi, jump.”
When Guide gave the command while thrusting a fist into the air—
Boing!
The Ferry crouched its spring-like body and then unfolded, soaring upward.
“…My L-Lady. Why is that monster understanding human speech? Is it under some kind of spell?”
“No. It’s not magic.”
I shook my head vigorously as I answered.
“It’s not that the Ferry knows human language; it seems Guide is communicating in the Ferry’s language.”
That’s right.
In the original novel, Guide was a Monster Trainer—to put it simply, the Caesar Millan of this world.
The man who first conceived the concept of ‘training monsters’ in this world, and a man who played an active role as a fairly powerful enemy to the male lead who began the monster extermination.
‘As expected, the main characters in novels are extraordinary from the start. He looked like just a little crybaby, so I thought he was the type that grows into his role, but he’s had talent since he was young.’
“Bibi. Paw.”
This time, Guide held out a tiny palm toward the Ferry. I was watching his now-relaxed face with a warm smile when—
“Kak!”
“Aaaah!”
Suddenly feeling cranky, the Ferry bit Guide’s hand.
“Gasp. Are-are you okay?!”
“See! It is a dangerous monster after all…!”
Startled, I rushed toward Guide, and the knight drew his sword.
“I-I forgot. Bi-Bibi gets grumpy if I give her more than three commands without a snack.”
“…I-I see.”
Snacks are mandatory during training. Noted.
The embarrassed knight put his sword back.
In any case, the fact that Guide could train monsters seemed to be properly proven.
Though it was still rudimentary, showing this much potential was enough.
With my eyes gleaming, I made a proposal to Guide.
“Guide. Why don’t you work at our castle? I’ll guarantee three meals a day and a place to stay.”
This was the reason I brought him to the castle.
If I was in a powerless state and couldn’t use my abilities, I would at least hire talented people to help me using information from the original story!
Guide, who would become a capable Monster Trainer in the future, would be a great strength.
“Ye-yes?”
Thud.
As if dazed by my words, Guide’s eyes went wide.
In the meantime, the Ferry, having finally let go of his hand, wagged its tail and approached me.
I was looking at the Ferry and its sparkling black-bean eyes, thinking it was cute, when the boy, who had been frozen like a statue for a long time, spoke up.
“I-I’m grateful, but… wh-what could I possibly do…”
“Just keep giving Bibi various training like you did just now. Sit, stay, jump. Later, things like ‘Bite!’ or ‘Don’t bite!’ too.”
“My Lady, what on earth…!”
“It is naturally impossible. Training a monster?!”
At my repeated proposal, May and the knight’s jaws dropped.
If I hadn’t been the Lady, they looked like they would have asked if I was sane.
But.
“…I-I think I can d-do that much.”
Guide’s answer was faster.
As expected of the Caesar Millan of this world. He simply nodded, appearing rather surprised that it was so easy.
“B-by the way, I-I don’t know if I should dare to say this to the Lady, but…”
Oh. The crybaby is becoming more proactive.
Feeling inexplicably good, I nodded vigorously.
“It’s fine. Just say it!”
“If-if it’s not too r-rude, what would the pay be…?”
Ah.
I forgot. This kid was a crybaby and easily scared, but he was also the type to always say what needed to be said.