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## Chapter 327: The Dog That Barks Like a Dinosaur
Late at night, scattered stars adorned the endless night sky, vying for brilliance, making even the blood-red moon seem somewhat dim. Under the clear starry sky, several blazing Bonfires were lit in the center of the square in front of the Paper Mill's main gate. Hundreds of workers, tired from a full day's labor, gathered around the Bonfires, some gnawing on coarse cakes brought from home, others buying a cup of rough barley wine just delivered by merchants. Laughter and cheerful voices filled the air, showcasing the unique, simple spirit of optimism and contentment despite poverty.
On such a peaceful night, the soldiers still didn't relax. Along the palisade made of round logs, a torch was placed every ten meters. Dutiful soldiers constantly patrolled the top of the wall, completely unaffected by the atmosphere below. The bright torches swayed in the wind, illuminating their resolute faces. Suddenly, a Squad of soldiers stopped. At the edge of where the light could reach, a blurry silhouette was faintly wriggling.
"Who goes there?"
The captain barked softly. In a single breath, all twelve members of the entire Squad had their arrows nocked, drawn back to a full moon, aimed at the moving object in the darkness. With just a command from the captain, a continuous volley of arrows would turn the target into a pincushion. Meanwhile, several other Squads of soldiers in the distance also quickly moved towards them.
"It's me."
A voice came from the darkness. As the figure approached, the silhouette gradually became clear—it was indeed a human. The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, but still didn't lower their bowstrings.
How unlucky can I be? I sighed, accepting the soldiers' inquiry from a distance. After confirming my identity, the heavy wooden gate opened with a creak, and several soldiers holding torches came forward to greet me.
"You've worked hard, My Lord Elder."
The leading captain bowed respectfully. By the torchlight, he noticed that the Elder seemed a bit disheveled. Based on experience, the captain instantly judged that this was the unique dishevelment that came from getting lost. Thinking of a certain legend about this important figure, he quickly lowered his head and subtly pinched his waist with his other hand, sucking in a cold breath. He finally managed to suppress the laughter that had risen to his throat.
"You've worked hard too. By the way, where is Elder Cain?"
I didn't notice the soldiers' small actions. Right now, I was tired and hungry. I had been wandering in the forest for five or six hours and finally saw a glimmer of firelight above the Paper Mill under the cover of night—thanks again to the Druid's keen eyesight and equipment that added to my illumination range.
Tch, how unlucky. It's all this damned dog's fault. It must be my jinx.
Little Ghost: Don't blame your poor sense of direction on a dog.
After stuffing the securely tied-up damned dog into my temporary lodging, I was led by the soldiers to Cain's Room, or more accurately, the Paper Mill's office.
"You're just getting back from patrol? You've worked hard."
Under the orange light of the lamp, Cain put down the quill pen in his hand. The faint smile on his face made it impossible for me to tell if he was praising me or teasing me.
After talking with Cain for a while about the handover matters for tomorrow morning and getting a free bowl of hot meat soup, I finally left contentedly. I took a bath, collapsed onto the bed, and fell fast asleep.
Early the next morning, the Adventurer taking over the shift arrived. It was a cool-looking Assassin uncle. Although he was a bit cold, he seemed kind-hearted. He coolly apologized for his delayed handover, then rummaged through his Inventory, seemingly wanting to give this little Druid a welcome gift and apology.
Finally, he took out a blue Wristblade and coolly handed it to me, with a cool demeanor that brooked no refusal.
According to common sense, you wouldn't give an Assassin-exclusive Wristblade to a Druid, right, Assassin uncle? Are you naturally oblivious? I accepted the Wristblade with a wry smile. I took a quick look; it was a level 20 requirement Wristblade. Most importantly, it came with a Tier 2 Trap Skill—Lightning, level 2. It was quite practical. Usually, Assassin-exclusive weapons don't come with skills. Assassin uncle gave me a generous gift.
As a reciprocal gesture, I also gave the Assassin uncle ten arrows. He didn't seem to care much and just accepted them so as not to make this little Druid lose face. However, the arrows I gave weren't ordinary arrows; they were blue arrows dropped by Duriel that came with the Exploding Arrow skill. I wonder if the Assassin uncle can still maintain his cool expression after he discovers this? Such an insidious thing is truly useful for an Assassin.
After the handover was complete, I hummed a tune and ran back to the Encampment, with a golden-haired damned dog, my reserve food supply that I had knocked out again, hanging on my back. I had originally planned to stew it last night, but after getting a free meal at Cain's, my stomach settled down. I might as well take it back for the whole family to enjoy together.
"My Lord."
From a distance, little Velas, standing at the doorstep of our house, cutely waved at me. Speaking of which, I only just realized that every time I come back from outside, as long as Velas is home, she always waits for me outside the door. How does she know I'm coming back? Is it a telepathic connection between husband and wife?
"Daddy daddy—"
A string of childish and cute voices came, and Silus and Aikelu, who ran out from inside upon hearing the sound, pounced on me, clinging to me and rubbing against me non-stop.
"Hey, my good daughters, did you miss Daddy?" I held one in each arm, lifting them up, and affectionately rubbed their little hands that were reaching out with my stubble.
"Mm, Silus (Aikelu) has been thinking about Daddy," the twins said in unison.
"Daddy, what's this?" Aikelu, who was on my left, noticed the damned dog hanging behind me and asked curiously.
"This, ah..." I put the twins down and lifted the damned dog forward.
"Velas, prepare this rabbit. We're having extra dishes today."
"Woo~~, My... My Lord, this is a dog, isn't it?" Seeing what was in my hand clearly, Velas covered her pretty face with her little finger and looked at me troubled.
Tch, was I found out? As expected, only its ears look like a rabbit's.
"It's okay, the taste should be the same anyway."
"No... that can't be right, woo~~, do we really have to eat it?" Velas looked at the damned dog with reluctance. Women are always more susceptible to cute things.
"Of course." I nodded. I glanced at the damned dog.
"But let's forget it." Saying this, I recalled the situation when it bit me.
"Let's eat it anyway." My gaze fell back on the damned dog.
"No no no, let's forget it."
Huh? That's strange, what's wrong with me? Why am I feeling this resistance?
"My Lord!!"
Velas puffed out her cheeks slightly and looked at me angrily. If she had a tail behind her, it would definitely stand straight up with her current cute appearance.
"Alright, alright. Let's just keep it as a pet for you guys."
Completely unaware that I was already being influenced by the Dragon Race Contract, I inexplicably scratched my head. Although I was just speaking words in anger from beginning to end and didn't really plan to stew the damned dog, the subtle psychological state I just displayed was too strange.
From the moment I lifted the damned dog, the twins, who had kept their eyes fixed on it and were teary-eyed upon hearing I was going to eat it, cheered. After kissing me on both cheeks, they picked up the damned dog and ran into the house.
"Huh? My Lord, your forehead!" Velas suddenly pointed at my forehead and exclaimed in surprise.
"What's wrong with my forehead?" Is there something strange? I touched it. No, there isn't.
"There's a strange pattern on it."
Velas pulled out a mirror from a small pocket she had somewhere and held it in front of me. Indeed, there was a circular pattern on my forehead, smaller than a coin. If it hadn't been revealed when I scratched my head just now, I might not have noticed it.
"This thing, was it there before?"
I have to admit, I'm someone who rarely looks in the mirror once a year. So even if you told me this pattern had been on my forehead since I transmigrated, I wouldn't find it strange.
"No, it wasn't there before you left yesterday," Velas said very certainly.
"That's strange. I'll go ask Akara."
Under Velas's worried gaze, I didn't even step inside the house and hurried away again. In this World of Magic, suddenly having such an eerie pattern on my body was no small matter. It might even be fatal.
"Hmm, I can't figure it out either. I haven't heard of this kind of pattern." Inside Akara's Tent. After pondering for a long time, she sighed helplessly.
"Huh?"
I looked at Akara in disbelief. In my impression, she should be omniscient. Then, I turned my pleading gaze to Fara, who had come upon hearing the news. Unexpectedly, he also shook his head.
The Contract pattern of a Dragon Race Royal might never have appeared in this World at all. Even if these two had vast knowledge, how could they possibly explain it clearly?
"However, one thing I can be sure of is that this pattern is not bad for you," Akara said with a smile, seeing that I was a little anxious.
Akara's words made me breathe a sigh of relief. It's fine, it's fine. Then I couldn't help but fantasize—could this pattern be related to the mystery of my Background, like being a Reincarnation of a God, or sealing Demon God Power? Doesn't that often happen in novels?
Unfortunately, I know my own situation best. My Background is nothing impressive. After fantasizing for a while, I said goodbye to the two with some regret and returned home. My daughters just happened to run out from inside, holding the "refreshed" damned dog in their arms. It turned out they had just gone to give the damned dog a bath. After the dirty damned dog was washed clean, even I had to admit it indeed looked quite presentable. Its golden fur, under the sunlight, actually had quite a bit of kingly aura.
At this moment, the damned dog had woken up and felt very resistant to being in the twins' arms. Its body kept twisting and struggling, barking non-stop. That's strange. According to the setting, aren't pets usually picked up especially lecherous, liking to be held in a woman's arms and then making the male protagonist incredibly jealous? Could it be that it's not satisfied with my daughters' chests? Hmph hmph~~, you damned dog.
I unceremoniously took the damned dog from Silus's hand and held it high. Strange to say, when it landed in my hands, it wasn't so resistant anymore. Instead, it looked me up and down with its round, rolling eyes.
I glared fiercely at it: You damned dog, don't get too smug, got it? Is there something you're not satisfied with about my daughters' chests? Of course, even being satisfied isn't allowed!! You lecherous dog, be careful or I'll stew you. I communicated with it through eye contact incoherently, my gaze inadvertently sweeping over it, and I was stunned for a moment.
Oh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood. Turns out it's a female dog.
My body went cold, and I immediately snapped back to my senses. Only then did I realize that an extremely terrifying killing intent was bursting forth from the damned dog. If I had a Scouter from Dragon Ball, I would definitely find that the damned dog was like a Super Saiyan, with a wave of black Energy surging around its body, its combat power leaping geometrically.
"Woof~~ Bark~~"
With a roar, six intersecting sharp claws slashed across my face. Damn it, you damned poop dog. I'll kill you, this time I'm really going to kill you. I cried out in misery while covering my face, only to find my thigh was bitten tightly again.
I'll kill you, I'll kill you. How dare you... how dare you look at this princess... that that... that that... Humiliation, this is the greatest disgrace. This princess will kill you, and then commit suicide!!!!
"Daddy and the little dog have such a good relationship."
Looking at the real-life PvP interaction scene between the little dog and Daddy, Silus gently sucked her finger and said with some envy. She didn't know if she was envying Daddy who was playing around with the little dog, or the little dog who was playing around with Daddy.
"Is... is that so?"
Velas tilted her head. It seemed like a little tail behind her was wagging in confusion.
"Crunch crunch..."
Gnawing the meat clean off in a few bites, I held the remaining bones, waving them above the damned dog with a malicious smile. How about it? You're hungry, aren't you? You're hungry, aren't you? Beg me, hurry up and beg me. Maybe I'll be merciful and let you lick it.
Ah, I was scorned by the damned dog. This damned dog actually gave me a disdainful look. Its round, rolling eyes were clearly shooting out a look of contempt. Got guts, huh? Very good.
I was immediately amused and annoyed. I simply sat down in front of the damned dog, holding a spare rib in one hand and gnawing on it with a crunching sound. How about it? You really want to eat it, right? I can already hear your stomach rumbling.
Ah, it actually bit me. I cried out in pain. Turning my head back, the damned dog's figure was already gone.
Feinting to the East, attacking the West?
I thought 'this is bad'. My right hand was violently struck, and the spare rib in it flew high up. Chasing the falling trajectory, the damned dog had already rushed up. Hmph hmph, a mere lowly human wants to play clever tricks in front of this princess? Won!
Not so easy. Narrowing my eyes, the spare rib in my left hand had already been thrown over, accurately hitting the spare rib in the air. The two spare ribs bounced off each other, changing trajectory again. Taking advantage of this moment, I had already pounced over.
Me: "I won't let you succeed."
Leona: "Woof woof woof woof... (A mere human wants to fight with this princess?)"
Cracking and crashing—
"My... My Lord, I think arguing with a dog... woo~~" Halfway through, Velas sighed as if giving up.
"Woo~~, I want to play with Daddy too," Aikelu looked at the little dog with envy.
A few days later, the damned dog had become familiar with the surroundings. However, this guy was very arrogant, always holding its head high and puffing out its chest, looking like it was a big deal, which made people grit their teeth when they saw it. I don't know if it's because the food improved, or if life became comfortable, but anyway, this damned dog with eyes on top of its head seemed to intend to establish an image and be unconventional, to prove its extraordinary nature—a mere damned dog actually wants to change its bark?
Look, here it comes. My good daughters went up to it, seemingly wanting to talk to the damned dog. Listen to this damned dog's bark.
"Ga-oh--, Ga-oh--"
It seemed to be saying, go away, this young lady doesn't have time to play with you two little kids.
"What do you mean 'Ga-oh--'!!! Do you think you're a dinosaur?!! You're a dog, so just bark 'Woof woof' properly, you bastard!" I violently flipped the table in my heart.
And so, when the Suggestion to name the damned dog was brought up, I looked it up and down.
"You seem to like dinosaurs," I said with malicious intent.
Although it didn't know what a dinosaur was, at least it had the word 'Dragon' in it, so Leona nodded happily, thinking to herself that this bastard actually had some taste.
"I remember there's a cat called Totoro (Dragon Cat), so your name might as well be Dragon Dog. How about it?" I looked at the damned dog with a smile.
Although it was indignant about having the word 'Dog' in it, who told it that it was currently living in the form of a dog? Blinking its round eyes in frustration, Leona nodded again helplessly.
But this guy is really strange. He would actually ask for my opinion? Leona only felt a creepy sensation.
"Alright, after discussing with the dead... *cough cough*, the little dog, we have decided. The little dog's name will be..." I stood up, slapping the table, and pointed at the damned dog.
"Dog Egg!!"
Discuss my ass! Ga-oh--, this princess will kill you, I will definitely kill you, you bastard. Leona was so angry her vision went black. She suddenly opened her little mouth and bit the hateful finger pointing at her. And so the matter of naming it was dropped. At least I still called it 'damned dog'.
This day, I was practicing on the training ground. After half a month of guidance from the Old Drunkard, I had basically mastered the theoretical knowledge of Feint. All that was left was continuous practice. Just then, a soldier brought news. Akara wanted me to go over.
"Wu, the Lut Gholein situation you asked me to keep an eye on, Meshif's ship has returned."
"Oh, that fast?" Counting the time, almost a month had passed. Actually, I say, why don't you just let me Teleport there? Why make it so troublesome, taking a ship and all that? What if it sinks?
Ignoring my rambling, Akara told me to get my things ready and go. Meshif will stay in Lut Gholein for three more days, so I don't need to be too anxious.
At dinner time, I told everyone the news. Speaking of which, the table was getting livelier. I sat in the center, my two daughters sat on either side of me, then sitting opposite us were Shala, Little Ghost, and Three-Lack Princess. As for the damned dog, tch. It actually wanted to take my place as Master. As a result, I flicked it under the table.
"Sob sob~~, Daddy is leaving?"
Silus and Aikelu's watery eyes immediately looked over. Having already put on the specially prepared Gothic princess dresses, their cuteness factor was off the charts.
"Yes, but don't worry, I'll come back to see you often."
I comforted them, meeting the somewhat sad gazes of Velas and Shala. Feeling the concern in their eyes, they looked at me wistfully, not hiding their reluctance to part. But in a few more days, they will also be ready for their class change. By then we can always be together.
Two days later, I finally set off. After a sad farewell, the four girls returned home. Seeing the usually lively house much quieter, they couldn't help but fall silent.
"Huh? Where's the little dog?"
Sharp-eyed Aikelu suddenly noticed that the golden little dog was gone.
And at this moment, I, who had appeared in Lut Gholein, was facing the same confusion, staring wide-eyed at a strange creature at my feet.
You damned dog, how did you get here!!
My head is full of confusion right now. It's absolutely impossible that we came together via the Long-distance Teleportation Array. A few of us, and those spellcasting mages, our eyes aren't blind to that extent.
Leona was also quite helpless: Do you think I wanted to follow you, you bastard? It's all the fault of that damned Contract.
It turned out that to prevent the Servant from escaping, this royal Contract has a rule that when the two parties of the Contract are a certain distance apart, the Servant will automatically Teleport to the Master's side. Of course, the distance can be changed by the Master. It's just that Leona herself couldn't speak, so how could she possibly teach the other party how to set it?
Could it be some relative of that damned dog? I picked up the little dog, wanting to judge based on some characteristics on its body.
"Ga-oh--"
"Crunch," and I was bitten again.
Oh, damn it. No need to judge. Absolutely right. This damned bark and the strength of the bite, it's definitely that damned dog.
Having no choice, I could only take the damned dog back with me, thinking to myself what if this happens during future training/adventures? With the damned dog's Strength, even a Fallen could kill it a hundred times over.
After settling down, that afternoon, I came to the Dock. There I met Meshif who was directing the unloading.
"I heard that a warrior will depart with my fleet this time. I didn't expect it would be you, My Lord. I am truly surprised. My Lord is the fastest adventurer I have ever seen."
Meshif didn't hide the surprise in his eyes. The time it usually takes Adventurers to pass through Lut Gholein is 3-5 years, and I only took a short year. No wonder he was so shocked.
"Just good luck. I just didn't expect Meshif to have such a good memory. He actually still remembers me." If I'm not mistaken, I should have met Meshif once when I first arrived in Lut Gholein, under the guidance of Tok. I didn't expect him to still recognize me.
"I always show a particularly good memory for special people," Meshif laughed heartily.
"How about it, My Lord? Do you want to come aboard and take a look first? It definitely won't disappoint you. In all of Lut Gholein, if I, Meshif, say my ship quality is second, no one would dare claim first place."
"I have long heard of your fleet's great reputation. No need for a tour, I absolutely trust you." Hearing Meshif ask me to board the ship, my face stiffened slightly, and I forced a smile.
"Just a little reputation, My Lord is too kind, haha—" Meshif, who had been praised, was even happier and didn't notice my abnormality.
After saying goodbye to Meshif, I walked aimlessly on the beach, occasionally glancing at the vast sea and sighing.
"Could it be you, Xiao Fan..."
Little Ghost, who rarely woke up, came out from the necklace, staring at me, keeping a distance of less than half an inch from my face.
"Xiao Fan, could it be you're afraid of water?"
"This... how is this possible? Who says I'm a landlubber? Swimming and stuff, it's simply a piece of cake for me. Even swimming directly from here to Kurast Docks is completely fine," I replied flustered.
"Idiot~, I didn't say you couldn't swim, Xiao Fan. You exposed yourself, didn't you?" Little Ghost tilted her head and smiled, her eyes sparkling with cunning light.
(end of chapter)
Late at night, scattered stars adorned the endless night sky, vying for brilliance, making even the blood-red moon seem somewhat dim. Under the clear starry sky, several blazing Bonfires were lit in the center of the square in front of the Paper Mill's main gate. Hundreds of workers, tired from a full day's labor, gathered around the Bonfires, some gnawing on coarse cakes brought from home, others buying a cup of rough barley wine just delivered by merchants. Laughter and cheerful voices filled the air, showcasing the unique, simple spirit of optimism and contentment despite poverty.
On such a peaceful night, the soldiers still didn't relax. Along the palisade made of round logs, a torch was placed every ten meters. Dutiful soldiers constantly patrolled the top of the wall, completely unaffected by the atmosphere below. The bright torches swayed in the wind, illuminating their resolute faces. Suddenly, a Squad of soldiers stopped. At the edge of where the light could reach, a blurry silhouette was faintly wriggling.
"Who goes there?"
The captain barked softly. In a single breath, all twelve members of the entire Squad had their arrows nocked, drawn back to a full moon, aimed at the moving object in the darkness. With just a command from the captain, a continuous volley of arrows would turn the target into a pincushion. Meanwhile, several other Squads of soldiers in the distance also quickly moved towards them.
"It's me."
A voice came from the darkness. As the figure approached, the silhouette gradually became clear—it was indeed a human. The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, but still didn't lower their bowstrings.
How unlucky can I be? I sighed, accepting the soldiers' inquiry from a distance. After confirming my identity, the heavy wooden gate opened with a creak, and several soldiers holding torches came forward to greet me.
"You've worked hard, My Lord Elder."
The leading captain bowed respectfully. By the torchlight, he noticed that the Elder seemed a bit disheveled. Based on experience, the captain instantly judged that this was the unique dishevelment that came from getting lost. Thinking of a certain legend about this important figure, he quickly lowered his head and subtly pinched his waist with his other hand, sucking in a cold breath. He finally managed to suppress the laughter that had risen to his throat.
"You've worked hard too. By the way, where is Elder Cain?"
I didn't notice the soldiers' small actions. Right now, I was tired and hungry. I had been wandering in the forest for five or six hours and finally saw a glimmer of firelight above the Paper Mill under the cover of night—thanks again to the Druid's keen eyesight and equipment that added to my illumination range.
Tch, how unlucky. It's all this damned dog's fault. It must be my jinx.
Little Ghost: Don't blame your poor sense of direction on a dog.
After stuffing the securely tied-up damned dog into my temporary lodging, I was led by the soldiers to Cain's Room, or more accurately, the Paper Mill's office.
"You're just getting back from patrol? You've worked hard."
Under the orange light of the lamp, Cain put down the quill pen in his hand. The faint smile on his face made it impossible for me to tell if he was praising me or teasing me.
After talking with Cain for a while about the handover matters for tomorrow morning and getting a free bowl of hot meat soup, I finally left contentedly. I took a bath, collapsed onto the bed, and fell fast asleep.
Early the next morning, the Adventurer taking over the shift arrived. It was a cool-looking Assassin uncle. Although he was a bit cold, he seemed kind-hearted. He coolly apologized for his delayed handover, then rummaged through his Inventory, seemingly wanting to give this little Druid a welcome gift and apology.
Finally, he took out a blue Wristblade and coolly handed it to me, with a cool demeanor that brooked no refusal.
According to common sense, you wouldn't give an Assassin-exclusive Wristblade to a Druid, right, Assassin uncle? Are you naturally oblivious? I accepted the Wristblade with a wry smile. I took a quick look; it was a level 20 requirement Wristblade. Most importantly, it came with a Tier 2 Trap Skill—Lightning, level 2. It was quite practical. Usually, Assassin-exclusive weapons don't come with skills. Assassin uncle gave me a generous gift.
As a reciprocal gesture, I also gave the Assassin uncle ten arrows. He didn't seem to care much and just accepted them so as not to make this little Druid lose face. However, the arrows I gave weren't ordinary arrows; they were blue arrows dropped by Duriel that came with the Exploding Arrow skill. I wonder if the Assassin uncle can still maintain his cool expression after he discovers this? Such an insidious thing is truly useful for an Assassin.
After the handover was complete, I hummed a tune and ran back to the Encampment, with a golden-haired damned dog, my reserve food supply that I had knocked out again, hanging on my back. I had originally planned to stew it last night, but after getting a free meal at Cain's, my stomach settled down. I might as well take it back for the whole family to enjoy together.
"My Lord."
From a distance, little Velas, standing at the doorstep of our house, cutely waved at me. Speaking of which, I only just realized that every time I come back from outside, as long as Velas is home, she always waits for me outside the door. How does she know I'm coming back? Is it a telepathic connection between husband and wife?
"Daddy daddy—"
A string of childish and cute voices came, and Silus and Aikelu, who ran out from inside upon hearing the sound, pounced on me, clinging to me and rubbing against me non-stop.
"Hey, my good daughters, did you miss Daddy?" I held one in each arm, lifting them up, and affectionately rubbed their little hands that were reaching out with my stubble.
"Mm, Silus (Aikelu) has been thinking about Daddy," the twins said in unison.
"Daddy, what's this?" Aikelu, who was on my left, noticed the damned dog hanging behind me and asked curiously.
"This, ah..." I put the twins down and lifted the damned dog forward.
"Velas, prepare this rabbit. We're having extra dishes today."
"Woo~~, My... My Lord, this is a dog, isn't it?" Seeing what was in my hand clearly, Velas covered her pretty face with her little finger and looked at me troubled.
Tch, was I found out? As expected, only its ears look like a rabbit's.
"It's okay, the taste should be the same anyway."
"No... that can't be right, woo~~, do we really have to eat it?" Velas looked at the damned dog with reluctance. Women are always more susceptible to cute things.
"Of course." I nodded. I glanced at the damned dog.
"But let's forget it." Saying this, I recalled the situation when it bit me.
"Let's eat it anyway." My gaze fell back on the damned dog.
"No no no, let's forget it."
Huh? That's strange, what's wrong with me? Why am I feeling this resistance?
"My Lord!!"
Velas puffed out her cheeks slightly and looked at me angrily. If she had a tail behind her, it would definitely stand straight up with her current cute appearance.
"Alright, alright. Let's just keep it as a pet for you guys."
Completely unaware that I was already being influenced by the Dragon Race Contract, I inexplicably scratched my head. Although I was just speaking words in anger from beginning to end and didn't really plan to stew the damned dog, the subtle psychological state I just displayed was too strange.
From the moment I lifted the damned dog, the twins, who had kept their eyes fixed on it and were teary-eyed upon hearing I was going to eat it, cheered. After kissing me on both cheeks, they picked up the damned dog and ran into the house.
"Huh? My Lord, your forehead!" Velas suddenly pointed at my forehead and exclaimed in surprise.
"What's wrong with my forehead?" Is there something strange? I touched it. No, there isn't.
"There's a strange pattern on it."
Velas pulled out a mirror from a small pocket she had somewhere and held it in front of me. Indeed, there was a circular pattern on my forehead, smaller than a coin. If it hadn't been revealed when I scratched my head just now, I might not have noticed it.
"This thing, was it there before?"
I have to admit, I'm someone who rarely looks in the mirror once a year. So even if you told me this pattern had been on my forehead since I transmigrated, I wouldn't find it strange.
"No, it wasn't there before you left yesterday," Velas said very certainly.
"That's strange. I'll go ask Akara."
Under Velas's worried gaze, I didn't even step inside the house and hurried away again. In this World of Magic, suddenly having such an eerie pattern on my body was no small matter. It might even be fatal.
"Hmm, I can't figure it out either. I haven't heard of this kind of pattern." Inside Akara's Tent. After pondering for a long time, she sighed helplessly.
"Huh?"
I looked at Akara in disbelief. In my impression, she should be omniscient. Then, I turned my pleading gaze to Fara, who had come upon hearing the news. Unexpectedly, he also shook his head.
The Contract pattern of a Dragon Race Royal might never have appeared in this World at all. Even if these two had vast knowledge, how could they possibly explain it clearly?
"However, one thing I can be sure of is that this pattern is not bad for you," Akara said with a smile, seeing that I was a little anxious.
Akara's words made me breathe a sigh of relief. It's fine, it's fine. Then I couldn't help but fantasize—could this pattern be related to the mystery of my Background, like being a Reincarnation of a God, or sealing Demon God Power? Doesn't that often happen in novels?
Unfortunately, I know my own situation best. My Background is nothing impressive. After fantasizing for a while, I said goodbye to the two with some regret and returned home. My daughters just happened to run out from inside, holding the "refreshed" damned dog in their arms. It turned out they had just gone to give the damned dog a bath. After the dirty damned dog was washed clean, even I had to admit it indeed looked quite presentable. Its golden fur, under the sunlight, actually had quite a bit of kingly aura.
At this moment, the damned dog had woken up and felt very resistant to being in the twins' arms. Its body kept twisting and struggling, barking non-stop. That's strange. According to the setting, aren't pets usually picked up especially lecherous, liking to be held in a woman's arms and then making the male protagonist incredibly jealous? Could it be that it's not satisfied with my daughters' chests? Hmph hmph~~, you damned dog.
I unceremoniously took the damned dog from Silus's hand and held it high. Strange to say, when it landed in my hands, it wasn't so resistant anymore. Instead, it looked me up and down with its round, rolling eyes.
I glared fiercely at it: You damned dog, don't get too smug, got it? Is there something you're not satisfied with about my daughters' chests? Of course, even being satisfied isn't allowed!! You lecherous dog, be careful or I'll stew you. I communicated with it through eye contact incoherently, my gaze inadvertently sweeping over it, and I was stunned for a moment.
Oh, I'm sorry, I misunderstood. Turns out it's a female dog.
My body went cold, and I immediately snapped back to my senses. Only then did I realize that an extremely terrifying killing intent was bursting forth from the damned dog. If I had a Scouter from Dragon Ball, I would definitely find that the damned dog was like a Super Saiyan, with a wave of black Energy surging around its body, its combat power leaping geometrically.
"Woof~~ Bark~~"
With a roar, six intersecting sharp claws slashed across my face. Damn it, you damned poop dog. I'll kill you, this time I'm really going to kill you. I cried out in misery while covering my face, only to find my thigh was bitten tightly again.
I'll kill you, I'll kill you. How dare you... how dare you look at this princess... that that... that that... Humiliation, this is the greatest disgrace. This princess will kill you, and then commit suicide!!!!
"Daddy and the little dog have such a good relationship."
Looking at the real-life PvP interaction scene between the little dog and Daddy, Silus gently sucked her finger and said with some envy. She didn't know if she was envying Daddy who was playing around with the little dog, or the little dog who was playing around with Daddy.
"Is... is that so?"
Velas tilted her head. It seemed like a little tail behind her was wagging in confusion.
"Crunch crunch..."
Gnawing the meat clean off in a few bites, I held the remaining bones, waving them above the damned dog with a malicious smile. How about it? You're hungry, aren't you? You're hungry, aren't you? Beg me, hurry up and beg me. Maybe I'll be merciful and let you lick it.
Ah, I was scorned by the damned dog. This damned dog actually gave me a disdainful look. Its round, rolling eyes were clearly shooting out a look of contempt. Got guts, huh? Very good.
I was immediately amused and annoyed. I simply sat down in front of the damned dog, holding a spare rib in one hand and gnawing on it with a crunching sound. How about it? You really want to eat it, right? I can already hear your stomach rumbling.
Ah, it actually bit me. I cried out in pain. Turning my head back, the damned dog's figure was already gone.
Feinting to the East, attacking the West?
I thought 'this is bad'. My right hand was violently struck, and the spare rib in it flew high up. Chasing the falling trajectory, the damned dog had already rushed up. Hmph hmph, a mere lowly human wants to play clever tricks in front of this princess? Won!
Not so easy. Narrowing my eyes, the spare rib in my left hand had already been thrown over, accurately hitting the spare rib in the air. The two spare ribs bounced off each other, changing trajectory again. Taking advantage of this moment, I had already pounced over.
Me: "I won't let you succeed."
Leona: "Woof woof woof woof... (A mere human wants to fight with this princess?)"
Cracking and crashing—
"My... My Lord, I think arguing with a dog... woo~~" Halfway through, Velas sighed as if giving up.
"Woo~~, I want to play with Daddy too," Aikelu looked at the little dog with envy.
A few days later, the damned dog had become familiar with the surroundings. However, this guy was very arrogant, always holding its head high and puffing out its chest, looking like it was a big deal, which made people grit their teeth when they saw it. I don't know if it's because the food improved, or if life became comfortable, but anyway, this damned dog with eyes on top of its head seemed to intend to establish an image and be unconventional, to prove its extraordinary nature—a mere damned dog actually wants to change its bark?
Look, here it comes. My good daughters went up to it, seemingly wanting to talk to the damned dog. Listen to this damned dog's bark.
"Ga-oh--, Ga-oh--"
It seemed to be saying, go away, this young lady doesn't have time to play with you two little kids.
"What do you mean 'Ga-oh--'!!! Do you think you're a dinosaur?!! You're a dog, so just bark 'Woof woof' properly, you bastard!" I violently flipped the table in my heart.
And so, when the Suggestion to name the damned dog was brought up, I looked it up and down.
"You seem to like dinosaurs," I said with malicious intent.
Although it didn't know what a dinosaur was, at least it had the word 'Dragon' in it, so Leona nodded happily, thinking to herself that this bastard actually had some taste.
"I remember there's a cat called Totoro (Dragon Cat), so your name might as well be Dragon Dog. How about it?" I looked at the damned dog with a smile.
Although it was indignant about having the word 'Dog' in it, who told it that it was currently living in the form of a dog? Blinking its round eyes in frustration, Leona nodded again helplessly.
But this guy is really strange. He would actually ask for my opinion? Leona only felt a creepy sensation.
"Alright, after discussing with the dead... *cough cough*, the little dog, we have decided. The little dog's name will be..." I stood up, slapping the table, and pointed at the damned dog.
"Dog Egg!!"
Discuss my ass! Ga-oh--, this princess will kill you, I will definitely kill you, you bastard. Leona was so angry her vision went black. She suddenly opened her little mouth and bit the hateful finger pointing at her. And so the matter of naming it was dropped. At least I still called it 'damned dog'.
This day, I was practicing on the training ground. After half a month of guidance from the Old Drunkard, I had basically mastered the theoretical knowledge of Feint. All that was left was continuous practice. Just then, a soldier brought news. Akara wanted me to go over.
"Wu, the Lut Gholein situation you asked me to keep an eye on, Meshif's ship has returned."
"Oh, that fast?" Counting the time, almost a month had passed. Actually, I say, why don't you just let me Teleport there? Why make it so troublesome, taking a ship and all that? What if it sinks?
Ignoring my rambling, Akara told me to get my things ready and go. Meshif will stay in Lut Gholein for three more days, so I don't need to be too anxious.
At dinner time, I told everyone the news. Speaking of which, the table was getting livelier. I sat in the center, my two daughters sat on either side of me, then sitting opposite us were Shala, Little Ghost, and Three-Lack Princess. As for the damned dog, tch. It actually wanted to take my place as Master. As a result, I flicked it under the table.
"Sob sob~~, Daddy is leaving?"
Silus and Aikelu's watery eyes immediately looked over. Having already put on the specially prepared Gothic princess dresses, their cuteness factor was off the charts.
"Yes, but don't worry, I'll come back to see you often."
I comforted them, meeting the somewhat sad gazes of Velas and Shala. Feeling the concern in their eyes, they looked at me wistfully, not hiding their reluctance to part. But in a few more days, they will also be ready for their class change. By then we can always be together.
Two days later, I finally set off. After a sad farewell, the four girls returned home. Seeing the usually lively house much quieter, they couldn't help but fall silent.
"Huh? Where's the little dog?"
Sharp-eyed Aikelu suddenly noticed that the golden little dog was gone.
And at this moment, I, who had appeared in Lut Gholein, was facing the same confusion, staring wide-eyed at a strange creature at my feet.
You damned dog, how did you get here!!
My head is full of confusion right now. It's absolutely impossible that we came together via the Long-distance Teleportation Array. A few of us, and those spellcasting mages, our eyes aren't blind to that extent.
Leona was also quite helpless: Do you think I wanted to follow you, you bastard? It's all the fault of that damned Contract.
It turned out that to prevent the Servant from escaping, this royal Contract has a rule that when the two parties of the Contract are a certain distance apart, the Servant will automatically Teleport to the Master's side. Of course, the distance can be changed by the Master. It's just that Leona herself couldn't speak, so how could she possibly teach the other party how to set it?
Could it be some relative of that damned dog? I picked up the little dog, wanting to judge based on some characteristics on its body.
"Ga-oh--"
"Crunch," and I was bitten again.
Oh, damn it. No need to judge. Absolutely right. This damned bark and the strength of the bite, it's definitely that damned dog.
Having no choice, I could only take the damned dog back with me, thinking to myself what if this happens during future training/adventures? With the damned dog's Strength, even a Fallen could kill it a hundred times over.
After settling down, that afternoon, I came to the Dock. There I met Meshif who was directing the unloading.
"I heard that a warrior will depart with my fleet this time. I didn't expect it would be you, My Lord. I am truly surprised. My Lord is the fastest adventurer I have ever seen."
Meshif didn't hide the surprise in his eyes. The time it usually takes Adventurers to pass through Lut Gholein is 3-5 years, and I only took a short year. No wonder he was so shocked.
"Just good luck. I just didn't expect Meshif to have such a good memory. He actually still remembers me." If I'm not mistaken, I should have met Meshif once when I first arrived in Lut Gholein, under the guidance of Tok. I didn't expect him to still recognize me.
"I always show a particularly good memory for special people," Meshif laughed heartily.
"How about it, My Lord? Do you want to come aboard and take a look first? It definitely won't disappoint you. In all of Lut Gholein, if I, Meshif, say my ship quality is second, no one would dare claim first place."
"I have long heard of your fleet's great reputation. No need for a tour, I absolutely trust you." Hearing Meshif ask me to board the ship, my face stiffened slightly, and I forced a smile.
"Just a little reputation, My Lord is too kind, haha—" Meshif, who had been praised, was even happier and didn't notice my abnormality.
After saying goodbye to Meshif, I walked aimlessly on the beach, occasionally glancing at the vast sea and sighing.
"Could it be you, Xiao Fan..."
Little Ghost, who rarely woke up, came out from the necklace, staring at me, keeping a distance of less than half an inch from my face.
"Xiao Fan, could it be you're afraid of water?"
"This... how is this possible? Who says I'm a landlubber? Swimming and stuff, it's simply a piece of cake for me. Even swimming directly from here to Kurast Docks is completely fine," I replied flustered.
"Idiot~, I didn't say you couldn't swim, Xiao Fan. You exposed yourself, didn't you?" Little Ghost tilted her head and smiled, her eyes sparkling with cunning light.
(end of chapter)
