Chapter 441 – Magical Wolf King

With that strange magical armor surrounding it, we were surprised to see that the inside wasn’t a dragon.

「A wolf? It’s a magical wolf. What do you think, Yureena?」

「Y…yeah. You’re right. It looks like a magical wolf.」

This magical wolf was even bigger than Femm.

Even so, it had spoken human words.

Femm had always only spoken human words through spirit speech.

Hearing a magical wolf speaking human words must take even more effort than spirit speech.

In reaction to having the curse released, the magical wolf slumped into the ground. It must have little power to move.

With no power, that armor it had on it must have forced it around constantly.

It was almost out of breath, but the wolf said,

「…thank you. I can’t believe someone exists that could release me.」

The wolf seemed to be able to speak freely with its curse gone.

When it was still cursed, it seemed like it was pained as it spoke.

「Don’t worry about it. We can hear your story later.」

「You may ask anything. If I can answer anything, I will.」

「Thank you. But we need to treat you first.」

Then Yureena called out to the rear guard.

「Luka! I have to treat it, so come here and help.」

「Sure.」

Luka ran up and checked the wolf’s condition.

Yureena checked for injuries and cuts, and began treating the wolf.

Everyone gathered in closely to watch.

After checking the whole wolf out, Luka said,

「Skin and bones. The organs are shrunken from starvation. Just enough nutrition was left to feed it and the armor. It seems to have been sucking magic from around it.」

Magical beasts could live off the magic present around them.

「So, that’s why it didn’t die deep in the bowels of this dungeon.」

「You’re right.」

「Yureena, anything else?」

「Nothing other than starvation. There are injuries where that armor thing dug into its skin.」

Seems that the armor had dug so deeply into the wolf’s skin that it had pierced the wolf’s blood vessels.

It could control the wolf by magic sent through its blood.

After a bit, Yureena was able to cure it.

In other words, the wolf was almost starved to death, but was healthy in most other ways.

「I’ll get some food for the wolf. It’s been a while since it ate, so something that’s very watery at first.」

「I am…grateful…」

Luka rummaged through her bag and started making something for the wolf.

「Make sure to eat this slow.」

「…slurp…slurp」

She had taken something like a warm porridge out and offered it to the wolf to eat.

「It might not be enough, but a little is good, too.」

「…thank…you…」

Yureena and Luka continued looking the wolf over.

Meanwhile, Vi-Vi, Timi, Chel, Moofy and Cruz checked over the remains of the zombified armor.

「Complex magic…impressive.」

「It’s quite interesting. The armor was a living being. If you can call it that.」

「Piggi」「Moo moo」

「Strange that living things like this exist.」

「Leave the remains for me to check as well. I need to do some research.」

Luka said, while Vi-Vi put some remains of the beast into her bag.

Just then, Belda and Ecces came up behind Yureena and Luka, and looked at the wolf with some worry.

Also, Femm came up behind those two and stared at the wolf.

「Femm, what is it? Are you shy talking to other wolves outside of your pack?」

I asked, but Femm didn’t respond. Something was wrong.

「Femm, what is it?」

『Father?』

Femm said, in spirit speech, quietly.

「Wha? Father?」

I was surprised. The two looked at each other, and I could see that they did look quite alike.

It didn’t make sense that the father would be here, though.

This dungeon was made hundreds of years ago.

And, this wolf was set here as one part of the dungeon.

In other words, this father of Femm would have to have been here hundreds of years.

「I thought you said your father was dead.」

Femm had become the king of the wolves because the previous king, the father, had died.

At least, that’s what Femm said when we had just met.

However, I never heard anything more about the father.

I took a few steps closer to the wolves.

『Are you my father?』

Femm called out, and the other beast looked up.

「I have no daughter…」

『But…but…』

「…」

The wolves silently sniffed each other.

「It is an old smell…smells like my son.」

『Son?』

Femm looked surprised.

But hearing this, I had a theory about it all…

「Wolf, I have something to ask.」

「Go ahead.」

「You know the name of Mulg Village?」

「Why do you know that name>?」

「I am a guard there. And this, Femm, now is the king of the wolves around that village.」

「I see…I understand.」

The wolf sighed and looked at the ground.

Then it looked up, as if it were tired to talk.

However, it did stare at Femm.

And it looked at Femm kindly.