3 bar menu

Chapter 68 – part 1

The Orthros rolled on the ground, exposing its belly.

 

Looking down at it, I clapped my hands.

 

「Well then… tonight’s menu is dog stew.」

 

「You are going to eat it!?」

 

「Hm? Dog-like magical creatures are delicious, you know?」

 

Liz, in a fluster, sent a pleading glance to Lilith for help.

 

「…What’s wrong, Liz?」

 

At Lilith’s words, Liz turned paler and asked again, 

 

「Are you really… going to eat it?」

 

Lilith nodded.

 

「…When it comes to Orthros, it’s a high-grade material, ranked A-class. Its fur, bones, fangs—all sell at high prices as materials. Even its organs… can be sold to apothecaries or at the adventurer’s guild, with its liver being worth one gold coin each. And—its meat ranks among the top 10 tasty ingredients. It’s a must-eat.」

 

Upon hearing this, Liz’s complexion surpassed pale and became a sickly color.

 

「But… it’s a dog?」

 

「It is, what’s the problem?」

 

「Even I… I mean… it’s just that…」

 

Ah, I see. Liz might have reservations about eating dog meat due to having beastman blood. 

It’s like a human eating chimpanzee meat.

 

That does indeed feel unpleasant.

 

「Alright… if that’s the case, we won’t eat it. Let’s just butcher it here and sell the materials.」

 

「Eh…?」

 

「Hm? What’s wrong, Liz?」

 

「Are you… going to kill it? But it’s already completely submissive to you, Lute… Can’t you just forgive it somehow?」

 

Hmm.

It seems it’s not a good idea to kill it after all.

 

「Then what should we do?」

 

「Can’t we take it back to the town? If you look closely, it’s kind of cute…」

 

What is this girl saying?

It’s a huge black dog, 2 meters tall and 4 meters long.

 

Well, maybe it’s a beastman thing, I guess…

 

I looked troubled and glanced at Lilith.

And Lilith, sighing, said, 

 

「…It’s undeniably cute. I’ve always dreamed of having a pet since I was a child. Maybe this is a perfect opportunity.」

 

Brutus! You too!

 

Well, Lilith does have some peculiarities, so… I kind of get it, but…

 

「You guys…」

 

Liz turned her pleading gaze toward me.

While patting the Orthros’s belly, Lilith spoke.

 

「…Alright? Orthros? That’s the boss.」

 

She pointed at me, continuing her words.

 

「…And the number two in the pack is me. You absolutely must not mistake that.」

 

It seemed the discussion of whether to keep the Orthros as a pet or not had become a 2-against-1 scenario.

 

「Uh, Lilith? Are you really planning to take the Orthros to town?」

 

「…There’s a profession called ‘Beast Tamer.’ I’ve seen a beast tamer with a magic wolf in some town.」

 

「A ‘C-rank’ magic wolf and a ‘Top A rank’ Fenrir are literally on different levels, aren’t they?」

 

「…There’s a way.」

 

「Hmm?」

 

Lilith took out a collar from her item box.

 

「Ah, I see.」

 

「…The Reaper’s Shackle. The pre-evolution form of Orthros closely resembles a magic wolf cub. And magic wolf cubs have uses beyond just being pets—they can serve as guard dogs.」

 

The item Lilith produced was of national treasure-level quality.

It’s an extraordinary artifact that forcibly reduces a creature’s rank by one, stealing its magical powers.

 

「I see. If it drops one rank, it becomes a ‘B-rank’ magical creature… and if trained, it might serve as Liz’s guardian.」

 

「…That’s right.「

 

Its primary use is for capturing members of the magical race, but… I see, it could indeed be used in that way too.

 

「…Alright then.」

 

Lilith put the collar on Orthros.

Surrounded by light, Orthros’s colossal body rapidly shrank.

 

As the light vanished, I gasped at its new form.

 

「It turned into a regular dog.」

 

Well, it basically became like a Siberian Husky puppy.

Yeah. Just outright cute.

 

Wagging its tail, the Orthros leaped at Lilith, licking her face.

 

「…Fufufu… adorable.」

 

Now then… I scratched my chin.

This unanimously settled the matter of taking the Orthros  back—3-0 in favor.

 

「The name… Orthros is a bit hard to call. Let’s go with ‘Orto.’」

 

— 

 

On that night, having finished washing the dishes, I directed a long-held question to Lilith.

 

「Hey, Lilith?」

 

「…What is it?」

 

「Why do my spoons and forks always seem different every time?」

 

It’s my role to prepare meals. 

Lilith is in charge of taking out the dishes from the item box and serving them. 

 

I’m responsible for washing the dishes, while Lilith prepares the sleeping area. 

That’s how we divide household chores—however, for some reason, my spoons and forks are always brand new.

 

「…I can’t allow Lute to use worn-out tableware.」

 

「But aren’t the spoons and forks made of high-quality silver?」

 

「…Even so, I can’t allow it.」

 

「But the plates and cups are the same every time, right?」

 

Lilith shrugged as if resigned to her punishment.

 

「…I’ll be honest.」

 

「Honest? What do you mean?」

 

「…Lute’s used spoons and forks are part of my collection.」

 

「Collection?」

 

「…Yeah. Collection. They’re kept carefully in the item box without being washed.」

 

I had a terrible feeling about this. 

My sixth sense told me not to continue this conversation, but I couldn’t help but ask.

 

「What do you mean by that… Lilith?」

 

「…There are various ways to enjoy things.」

 

「Enjoy things…? Lilith…」

 

Ugh… I don’t want to hear it… 

But still, I couldn’t resist asking.

 

「For example, Lute’s fork.」

 

「The fork?「

 

「…First, I’ll savor the aroma.」

 

「Sorry, Lilith. I really have no idea what you’re talking about.」

 

Ignoring my words completely, Lilith continued to explain how she enjoyed her collection.

 

「…Next is tasting.」

 

「Tasting!?」

 

「…And then… many… really many things can be done.」

 

「When you say many things…?」

 

Lilith nodded slightly.

 

「…I can’t tell Lute everything. I am, after all, a woman… I have at least some modesty.」

 

「Sorry, Lilith. I’ll say it again: I really have no clue what you’re talking about.」

 

「…Would you like a little more explanation?」

 

「No, I don’t want to know.」

 

If I ask any more, I’m confident I won’t be able to travel with her anymore.

So, I won’t ask.

 

I slumped to the ground, holding my head in my hands.

 

「…What’s wrong, Lute? Headache? Cold?」

 

Concerned, Lilith approached me.

 

At that moment, as Lilith got closer to me—there was a dry sound,

 

「Ubofo!?」

 

It’s an uppercut.

Lilith, emitting sounds far from anything a typical story heroine would make, flew several meters into the air.

 

Then, after a few moments, a heavy thud can be heard as she collapses onto the ground.