Chapter 120: Arcadia (8)
The mischievous friend was feeling greedy.
Seeing that even a clueless fool could rake in a decent pile of cash with the dog’s help, he couldn’t help but imagine how much richer he could be if he snagged that dog for himself.
So, the mischievous friend said, “I’d love to benefit from that dog too. Can you lend it to me for a bit?”
“Huh? The dog?”
“Yep! I want to make a ton of money too!”
With those words, the husband paused for a moment, thought it over, and then shook his head.
“I don’t think lending you this dog would be respectful to the guest who entrusted it to me. Sorry about that.”
“Are you really not going to let me?”
“Nope.”
The husband was firm.
And honestly, he was right.
To the couple, this dog wasn’t just a regular pet; it was a treasured family member and a precious gem from a mysterious guest.
Handing such a dog over to someone else? That just wouldn’t be cool to that guest.
“Then… how about this? I’ll return the treasure you left with me as collateral when you borrowed money. Does that sound okay?”
“My family heirloom…?”
“Please! Just do me this favor, okay?”
The husband pondered for a bit.
Truth be told, the whole idea of leaving a treasure as collateral had been stuck in his heart like a thorn for quite some time.
But still, he shook his head.
No matter how precious that treasure was, turning down the grace of this dog felt like the right thing to do.
At that moment…
“Woof!”
The dog stood up and barked once.
“Woof woof!”
It was as if it was asking to go with him.
“See? This dog wants to come with me! I’ll return the treasure, so just lend me the dog.”
The husband looked at the dog.
With its tail wagging and a bright expression, the lively dog seemed to say, ‘Don’t worry, just let me go!’
“Alright then. If you bring back the treasure, I’ll lend you the dog.”
“Can’t I just take it now?”
“Nope. We need a moment to say goodbye too.”
The mischievous friend wanted to whisk away the dog as soon as he could, but the husband stood firm in his decision.
So, after bustling back to his home, the friend returned a few days later with the treasure that had been used as collateral.
And thus, the dog set off with the mischievous friend, leaving the couple behind.
– Classic fairy tale, The Grateful Dog.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Hmm. The sightseeing in Arcadia ended pretty well.
I saw the Killer Queen and Killer Hornets behaving more like friendly pets than those monstrous creatures after all. How curious.
Monsters all tamed by humans. Well, despite the ferocity, they’re still living beings at the core. It makes sense; when enough factors align, they can be trained or domesticated, right?
What if, someday, folks start capturing monsters like livestock or pets? Just like that famous game! Although, I doubt they’ll fit into your pocket.
Anyway, after wrapping up the Arcadia tour, the hero and I got ready to hit the road again.
“Are you really leaving this creature in our care?”
The Queen, wife of King Makai, was holding the Beast God lovingly.
“Yeah. It looks like this little guy needs to settle down somewhere now.”
As a god, maintaining a steady flow of faith is pretty important too. Unless I’m traipsing around like pilgrims from the Temple of Life, spreading the good word everywhere.
Especially since this creature is a god revered by a specific race, it’s even more crucial for it to stay in one spot.
Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha are good examples of that.
When it gathers enough faith, this critter could grow even stronger!
Plus, with Queen Makai around… the shrine maiden of that Beast God will be nearby. Hmm, interesting.
“So, I trust you’ll take good care of this creature.”
“Absolutely, just leave it to us!”
With the goodbyes of the King and Queen of Arcadia fading behind us, the hero and I set off once more.
We left the beast that served as our trusty transportation back, but hey, it’s not a big deal.
Feeling the earth beneath our own feet is all part of the charm of traveling.
And if we need to get somewhere fast, we can always just fly.
“Walking like this, just the two of us, brings back memories.”
“Memories?”
“Yeah, when we first started our adventure.”
Ah, those days…
Actually, it wasn’t long after we set out that we finally caught the first wild beast that was acting all crazy.
Since then, we’ve been a trio on our journeys, so it’s been a while since it was just the two of us.
As we strolled through the lush forest, I casually brought up an interesting topic.
“So, when are you planning to find a partner?”
“Huh?”
“Your partner. You can’t seriously think of living your whole life without starting a family or having kids, right?”
“Well, about that…”
I cut off the hero’s hesitant words and pressed on.
“I’m not going to let you brush this off by saying having me around is enough. You need someone who can fill the gaps I can’t fulfill.”
Right, I can be a parent but not a romantic partner.
“But…”
“Or should I make a move to get you to listen? Maybe spread some rumors through the pilgrims of the Temple of Life about how the hero’s looking for a partner?”
The hero’s face turned pale at my suggestion.
Honestly, there isn’t a better rumor mill than the pilgrims from the Temple of Life. Those folks travel everywhere like the bloodstream in the body, spreading the word around.
If I get the rumors out there, it wouldn’t be long before proposals start pouring in like rain for the hero.
Plus, the hero has a pretty good reputation among other races. We might even get news from dwarves or elves!
Dwarves, in particular… they were practically drooling over the hero’s sword during the last dwarf-elf war.
If they get a chance, they’ll likely want to examine, taste, and savor that sword right away.
“W-wait, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“But seriously, how else will you find that special someone?”
The hero’s fame is off the charts—possibly more than some kings!
Traveling the world and knocking out formidable monsters? He’s practically a hero in people’s eyes. A salvation figure, really.
Fighting off monsters in times of crisis and saving lives, the hero’s every action turns into an intriguing story in this entertainment-starved age.
Because of that, choosing a partner for the hero needs some careful thought.
There are bound to be folks looking to exploit the hero’s fame.
“Ugh…”
Seeming to ponder all this, the hero just let out a small groan in return.
“Or… what about that girl from the village near the Temple of Life?”
“For her… wouldn’t that be tricky?”
The hero sounded skeptical.
“It’s been decades! By now, she’s probably married with kids.”
“Hmm… should I check on that?”
“Ah, no, that’s okay. It’s fine.”
The hero spoke in a rather deflated tone. Hmm. This simply won’t do.
Whether she’s single or taken is something I can find out myself!
The hero doesn’t get a say in this matter!
———————
The dog that followed its mischievous friend enjoyed a temporary VIP treatment.
Delicious food, a cozy bed, even servants at its beck and call!
But even while living the high life, the dog didn’t really act differently.
Sometimes, it would dig up stones mixed with yellow metal or burrow holes for thirsty folks, but to the friend, it just looked like the dog was playing around.
Well, that’s no surprise since the friend’s house was already overflowing with wealth, lacking nothing.
Not understanding what more to offer someone who already has it all, the dog just passed the days playing around without a care.
The mischievous friend was not pleased with the dog’s behavior.
A dog that did nothing but eat their food? Not cool! So, the friend decided to take some “action.”
The tasty food and plush bed turned into hard, stale bread with a straw bed, and the servants who pampered the dog started doing other chores.
Initially, it was fun when the dog first arrived, but now, with the fun gone, the dog began to miss its loving owners.
However, the clever dog didn’t return to its owners. It was clear that if it went back now, that troublesome friend would pull something.
Then one day, the frustrated friend glared at the dog and grumbled.
“Why aren’t you doing anything? I even sacrificed a great treasure to bring you here!”
“Woof!”
“Woof isn’t an answer! Ugh! What an unruly dog!”
After venting his frustration, the friend kicked the poor dog aside.
– Classic fairy tale, The Grateful Dog.
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