Demon Prince 31.1

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Chapter 31.1. Hati

A few days after Noela brought in four new slave trainees to serve as maids, Lily arrived in her casual clothes on her day off.

"Lily, what's up? It's rare to see you in casual clothes."

"Jun-sama, please help this little one."

Lily showed me something wrapped in a cloth she was holding.

Inside the cloth was... a puppy?

"Is this... a dog? Its leg is injured."

"I think it's probably a wolf. It was caught in a trap meant for magical beasts in the forest."

A wolf, huh.

It's a beautiful silver wolf.

It’s a bit bigger than a Pomeranian, maybe?

Even as a wolf, it's so cute when it's a pup.

Oops, I should heal it first.

"[High Healing]."

A green light enveloped the wolf pup, healing it.

The pup woke up midway through the process.

It has big, round eyes.

It starts to struggle, realizing it's surrounded by strangers.

"Oh, oh, don’t struggle. I’m just healing your leg."

Lily tells the pup that its leg is being treated, and after looking between its leg and me, it calms down.

It seems to understand Lily's words.

What a smart little one.

"Do you think it understands human language? It's a clever one."

"Indeed. It's got a noble look with that beautiful silver fur."

"Wolves are supposed to be much smarter than dogs."

I think wolves have bigger brains compared to dogs.

I’m not sure how much bigger, though.

After finishing the treatment, I ask Lily more questions.

"You said you found this pup caught in a trap in the forest, but why were you in the forest, Lily?"

"On my days off, I sometimes go hunting with a bow. It's a hobby that’s easy on the household budget."

That’s surprising.

Lily hunts with a bow?

So that's why she’s dressed like a mountain girl today.

"Which forest did you find it in?"

"The large forest to the north of the royal capital."

"I’ve heard there are magical beasts in that forest. Isn’t it dangerous to hunt there?"

"The dangerous magical beasts are in the deep parts near the center. It's not so dangerous in the shallower areas. This pup was in one of those shallow areas."

Hmm...

She seems used to it, so as long as she doesn’t go too deep, I guess it’s okay?

"Even in the shallow parts, magical beasts can appear, so be careful. Was this pup the only one there? Wolves usually move in packs, right?"

"Yes. At that time, this was the only one there. If there were a wolf pack, I would have noticed and run away."

That makes sense.

It would be tough for a bow user to face a whole pack of wolves alone.

"If there were only two or three, I could handle it, though."

You can handle it?

That’s pretty impressive.

"Lily, do you have a crest, by any chance?"

"Ah, yes. I have a bow user's crest."

So she does have one.

I’m seeing a surprising side of Lily today.

"But what should we do with this little one?"

"I don’t think a wolf pup that got separated from its pack would survive if we returned it to the forest."

"Is it okay, Jun-sama? There’s something that’s bothering me."

"What is it, Noela?"

Noela, who had been quietly observing the treatment, joins the conversation with an unusually serious expression.

"Yes. Lily, you said this pup was caught in a trap for magical beasts, correct?"

"Yes, it was definitely a trap for magical beasts."

"I see. Then, Jun-sama, this pup might be a magical beast or possibly a phantom beast."

"What do you mean?"

"Traps for magical beasts don’t react to ordinary animals. They are designed to respond to the magic power that magical beasts possess. This pup is still young, so its magic power isn’t that strong, but it does have magic power. It’s definitely not an ordinary wolf."

At her words, I try to sense the pup's magic power.

Indeed, it does have magic power.

"So we really should return it to the forest?"

Even though it’s a wolf, its fur is beautiful, and it’s still a cute little pup.

I was starting to think it might be nice to keep it.

"No, Jun-sama. Although it’s not an ordinary wolf, it hasn’t shown any signs of attacking people and seems to be a smart pup. Why not make a contract with it and keep it as a pet?"

By "contract", she means a summoning contract.

Indeed, if I make a contract, even if it becomes unruly, I can impose restrictions.

It might be possible to keep it safely.

That sounds good.

"I like that idea."

"I agree too. This pup is adorable."

"Me too! It feels like a dream to have a wolf as a pet."

The idea is unanimously approved.

Let’s start the negotiations.

"Hey, how about making a contract with me and becoming my pet?"

"Woof?"

It sounds like a line from some magical girl anime, but I’ll ignore that.

"Being a pet is like becoming part of the family. So, first off, no breaking or damaging things in the castle, no stealing food, and no attacking people. Don’t mark your territory inside the building; do that in the castle garden. I’ll explain the finer details later. If you follow these rules, I promise to give you delicious meals three times a day."

"Woof!"

It seems excited about the delicious meals, wagging its tail vigorously.

It looks like the contract is accepted.

"Alright! Let’s make the contract!"

"Woof!"

Following the summoning magic contract procedure, I make the contract.

I let the target drink a bit of my blood, press the magic circle onto its forehead, and once the target accepts it, the contract is complete.

It’s actually my first time making a summoning contract, but it seems to have gone well.

"Alright, from now on, you're part of our family."

"Woof!"

"Now, we need to decide on a name. What should we call you?"

"Big brother, this pup might already have a soul name. Why don’t you check?"

"Oh, I see. That’s a good idea, Yuu."

Using magic, I check the pup's soul name.

It was quite challenging to learn this magic since it’s hard to visualize seeing a soul's name.

"This pup’s name is... Hati."