「I’ve tamed the guardian of the Dragon’s lair!」
「You have obtained the Taming Skill (Level 1)!」
「The Wild Fate (Awakening) interferes with the Taming Skill!」
「Having awakened the essence of the Taming Skill, the level has rapidly increased…」
As if welcoming Rena’s decision, system messages poured in, and the wolf stuck out its tongue as if it would fall out, heaving heavy breaths.
Attempting to change Rena’s mind, who had rejected taming, the status window unusually re-asked for confirmation, and the wolf even carried out a tour of the Dragon’s lair, which was only natural.
The sweeter the achievement in the face of adversity.
The wolf felt as though it had obtained the whole world.
However, Rena, far from empathizing with the wolf, was lost in thought.
“Alright, I’ve decided.”
Rena solemnly nodded and declared.
“From now on, your name is Baduki.”
?
There is much to do when taking in an animal.
But if we were to pick the very first thing, there would be no dissent.
Naming.
Before I call him by name, he is merely a gesture without meaning.
When I called him by name, he came to me and became a flower.
It was a line from poetry that everyone studying literature should know.
It was also a famous line that anyone could understand, illustrating the importance of names.
Accordingly, naming was akin to a ceremony declaring that the wolf had become a member of Rena’s family.
Even so, the name “Baduki” was a bit harsh.
“Baduki.”
Creeek!
“Right, you’re pretty smart. You understood your name on the first try.”
Rena smiled with satisfaction.
She was hearing and responding exactly as she wanted.
Anyone could see that the wolf, shaking its voice and baring its teeth, was protesting against the name.
Baduki?
The wolf couldn’t possibly comprehend the origin of such a name.
It just had a somewhat quaint ring to it.
A name that feels good to call but embarrassing when called by others.
The wolf felt an instant surge of aversion spreading from its heart throughout its body.
“Apparently, dog names like Snowflake, Buddy, and Baduki are easy to remember.”
Rena’s mental image of a dog was a country mutt.
A loyal guard dog that wagged its tail when people came to the yard and barked fiercely at approaching thieves.
The wolf fit Rena’s image perfectly.
Small and tiny for now.
But judging by the size of the parents, it was a being that would grow incredibly large.
This is “Baduki,” isn’t it?
Rena looked on with delight as the wolf, excitedly leaping around, appeared content.
“Oh, what is it? Your name is changing?”
Rena’s eyes widened.
The name above the wolf’s head had changed to “Baduki.”
This meant the status window recognized Rena’s naming.
Unfortunately for the wolf, mute creatures don’t have the right to choose their own names.
“Yep, some flexibility is good.”
If all others appeared just like any other species, there might be some awkward misunderstandings in certain situations.
For example, mistaking them for enemies in combat based solely on name.
It wasn’t an unrealistic scenario.
It was incredibly convenient to identify threats by name amidst the ambushes of the Great Forest, leading to habits of acting solely on name before even assessing appearance.
“Alright, stop it. You’re kicking up dust. I get that you’re excited, but it’s time to go. It’s already late evening to be heading home. Meals should be eaten on time. You need to eat well to grow tall.”
The wolf sighed deeply.
Despite clearly expressing discontent with its whole body, it seemed like Rena wasn’t paying any attention.
Instead, she talked nonsense as if under some spell.
And it was strange that she’d understood so well until now.
“By the way, thinking about it, I need to make a leash. Dogs aren’t supposed to be raised without a leash, right?”
Though it was abundantly clear her resolve was wavering, he should have fled as soon as she started resisting.
Realization came too late.
The wolf, Baduki, eventually accepted its given name.
A group of people marched along the road.
One led the way, and the rest followed in orderly ranks.
Their disciplined appearance alone was enough to show they were no ordinary group.
Their identities could be guessed from their appearance.
What seemed like capes fluttered with each step, revealing steel armor that gleamed under the light, and each had a sword sheathed at their side.
They were knights.
“Red Rose Knights Order!”
“Yes!”
“Now, focus! I have something important to say, so listen carefully!”
Though they seemed like the knights of novels and tales that are daunting and full of authority, it didn’t quite fit.
Except for the lead senior, the rest had a noticeable amateurish and awkward air about them.
There was a subtle greenhorn vibe to them.
“Do you see the distant forest?”
“Yes!”
“That’s the Great Forest! As you all know, you are scheduled to undergo your initiation rite, a three-day survival trial, in that area!”
Sounds of swallowing resonated continuously.
The headquarters of the knight order wasn’t far from the Great Forest.
Since the establishment of the Red Rose Knights Order was primarily to protect the territory from the threats of the Great Forest, it was reasonable for them to be close.
Naturally, the initiation rite for new recruits involved proving one’s worth through survival within the Great Forest.
“Relax! We’re not going to order you to wander deep inside! There’s no need to go that far in! You only need to survive three days at the edge!”
Despite his reassurance, the tense atmosphere didn’t lift.
The dangers of the Great Forest were famous enough that even children across the continent knew.
To draw an analogy, it was akin to the old stories from Rena’s hometown.
“If you keep crying like that, we’ll leave you in the Great Forest!” “The monsters of the Great Forest will come and get you!”
Though there was no set format, the gist was similar.
In Rena’s hometown, this was now considered an old wives’ tale, but it was still widely effective on the continent.
The infamy of the Great Forest was that widespread.
These knights, despite their titles, were merely rookies in this case.
The senior’s words went unheeded, just passing through their ears.
“Ah.”
The knight sighed at their behavior.
Compared to the knights of old, these rookies were nowhere near the same level.
This wasn’t just nostalgic grumbling from an elder yearning for glory days; it was reality.
The standard of new recruits for the Red Rose Knights Order had been steadily declining each year.
This was due to the decline of the noble family that owned the region.
The once-renowned knight order, shoulder-to-shoulder with the royal knights, had fallen into obscurity in a far-flung corner of the countryside.
It was inevitable that the quality of new recruits would progressively worsen.
It was already quite commendable to have recruited nearly a dozen rookies.
Without the baron’s tireless efforts reaching out to various places, probably only one or two would have joined.
Still, thanks to those efforts, this batch had some promising individuals.
The knight’s gaze landed on one recruit at the front row.
Unlike others, this recruit had not a single sign of anxiety on his face and maintained steady breathing.
His cloak was spotless, his steps precise – a strikingly memorable figure.
Recalling the recruit’s details, the knight was once again filled with curiosity.
Why would such a prodigy join this antiquated knights order? Though welcomed, still…
“?”
“Listen up, I’ll inform you of the things you need to be careful about!”
Before their eyes met, the knight quickly averted his gaze and shouted out.
“Information on the monsters you might encounter at the edge of the Great Forest! Memorize them if you want to survive!”
Even the rookies knew that knights could easily handle regular monsters.
Monsters of the Great Forest were different.
Even creatures of the same species were on a completely different level compared to those outside, and mutant types were rampant, making information a matter of life and death.
“Lastly, the most dangerous monsters you need to watch out for! In the Great Forest, there are ruling-class monsters!”
The public might think the Great Forest was just a land of monsters incessantly killing each other, but even in there, an order existed.
An order enforced by power.
Ruling-class monsters.
They arbitrarily carved out and claimed their own territories in the owner-less Great Forest.
“…And there are this many kinds. However, there’s one last type, though it’s been a long time since it was last seen. It’s provisionally considered extinct for now. Still, I’ll tell you, so keep it in mind!”
The knight theatrically growled while extending three fingers like claws.
“Ghost Wolf! You might think from the name that it’s a Wraith-type monster, but you’re wrong! Since its movements are so stealthy that only those of a knight captain-level and above can barely sense its presence, it earned this name! Altogether, these seven, you should run the moment you see them!”
“One question.”
No sooner had he finished speaking when a recruit raised their hand.
It was the recruit the knight had been observing intently.
“Speak!”
“I believe that even as a knight, it is cowardly to decide not to fight a ruling-class monster without trying.”
“Is that so?”
Seething with a competitive spirit.
The knight grinned.
“Deciding whether it’s cowardly or not comes after you survive. Your confidence is noted, but it’s better to follow my advice instead of showing off recklessly.”
The knight made a slitting sound with his mouth as he slashed his hand across his neck.
“You’d be hard-pressed to defeat these monsters, even if reincarnated a hundred times.”
“Ahahaha, stop being so dramatic. It’s not heavy at all. I’ve already carried it.”
“Keeeee!”
“There’s no such thing as a free meal, Baduki. You’ve got to earn your food. Can’t you survive on your own without me?”
The ghost wolf, Baduki, sulked.
Guess I drew the short straw in terms of owners.
