From somewhere, a barking sound was heard again. And immediately after, a gust of wind blew. A black-furred beastman, carrying a handful of the high wind blowing across the plateau, lightly landed beside Azhi.
Fast.
Not simply fast. Agile like a swift hound. Her movements and direction changes are so fast that it feels a bit rowdy. Yet, there is no sound at all. It is a movement that seems to symbolize the word agility.
Above all, the fact that she is a vampire walking around perfectly fine in the daytime was already extraordinary.
The lush fur growing from her head to her upper back protects her from the sunlight. A puffy tail with white stripes wags up and down. She is wearing a bulky raincoat to block the sunlight, but even if she took it off, she wouldn't suffer much damage. Her double-layered fur would have blocked it.
Ayn of Lungken, and the guardian of the shepherds. A black squall running across the plateau. Darkness running in broad daylight.
Mokingen Colley approached Azhi before her black fur even had time to settle.
"Arf?"
"Please stay still...! Once you take your eyes off her, she runs off, so I can't work at all...!"
Shepherd dogs famous for their intelligence and swiftness. Mokingen Colley, who inherited that brilliant bloodline, shook her head with a troubled face. Twigs and dust stuck in her black fur fell off in clumps.
"If you, the King of Dogs, act so friendly to humans, the hierarchy will be shaken..., you know."
"Woof woof! Me, friend!"
"I know... I know that. But this country is not yours..."
What stood before her eyes was the King of Dogs. The King of Beasts held a special meaning not only to dogs but also to dog beastmen. Even though she had become a vampire, Colley was driven by her instincts as a dog.
Having comforted Azhi, Colley growled as if in a bad mood and looked at me.
"Nicol. Who is he?"
Perhaps out of tension from facing a vampire, the thoroughly startled boy answered while stuttering.
"C-Colley-nim! A-as for this person, he came from Black Valley Village.... He said he came to inform Colley-nim that he found a suspicious person."
"In Bilitear's village? Was there a human like you there?"
Colley frowned, brought her nose to me, and sniffed. It was clearly an attitude of caution. The fortunate thing is that even for a beastman, a vampire's sense of smell is not that outstanding. It would be difficult for her to find anything strange by smell.
"Y-yes. You may not know me, but I am Huumil of Black Valley Village. It is an honor to meet you, Colley-nim..."
"A-woo-. Enough. You've never come to herd sheep even once, right? It's strange that a sturdy kid like you has never shown his face."
"I came once when I was young.... Of course, not as a shepherd apprentice, but..."
However, the ability to catch a sense of incongruity with a beast's intuition remained intact even after becoming a vampire. If only she had asked me something, I would have read her mind and answered.
At the moment of crisis, what saved me was....
"Woof woof! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!"
It was Azhi, completely failing to read the room, spinning around between me and Colley. Azhi squeezed her way between me and Colley and sniffed.
As Azhi went around rubbing her scent everywhere, Colley showed annoyance, though it wasn't quite annoyance.
"No, King! Wait...! I have work to do...!"
"Woof woof. Are you hurt? Does it hurt?"
"That smell of blood isn't because I'm hurt...!"
If there was a clear reason, it wouldn't be a sense of incongruity. Because there is no basis, it can be overturned by a single trivial change. Since the King of Dogs, Azhi, was showing a friendly attitude inwardly, Colley's sense of incongruity weakened as well.
"Awooo-. Fine. What did Bilitear say?"
"He said... a livestock that jumps over walls has appeared."
The term "livestock that jumps over walls" was vampire slang. Vampires say a human has "jumped over" something when referring to a human who has grown stronger than a vampire. If they defeat a Yeirling, it's a wall; if they defeat an Ayn, it's a castle wall; if they defeat an Elder... it's said they have jumped over their race.
Naturally, I didn't hear it from anywhere; I just said the most plausible thing among the contents I read with my telepathy. Colley withdrew her suspicion and raised her head.
"...Awooo-. Come to think of it, I didn't send a messenger to Bilitear. It seems he doesn't know the situation."
"The situation?"
"An important figure is escaping, so security has been strengthened. They said to absolutely capture them alive and escort them to the castle. But..."
Colley grumbled and glared at Azhi with disapproval.
"The King had to appear right at that time."
"Woof? Me? I'm Azhi!"
"Because the King bit my Yeirling, I wasted time chasing and trying to catch her. Until then, I thought the King was that important figure. Awooo. I should have judged it more coldly. The King is bad. Right at that timing. It was confusing."
She was making excuses to me right now. I wondered why a vampire would make excuses to a mere human, but Colley's origins were that of a dog beastman. Even after becoming a vampire, her essence hadn't completely changed.
Colley, the shepherd dog beastman, has a strong sense of duty and loyalty. She is loyal to Lungken and Azhi above, and to the humans she tends below. For such a Colley, failing to carry out her mission was quite a blow to her pride.
...Of course, I had no reason to listen to all of Colley's whining. I feigned ignorance and asked back.
"King? Important figure? Just who is this beastman? Is she a vampire?"
Forced to explain from the beginning, Colley scrunched her face and expressed her annoyance.
"Awooooo-! That's a thing! Don't ask so many questions!"
She was the one who spilled it all first. Anyway, Colley, who stopped grumbling, immediately looked at the shepherd boy and shouted.
"Nicol, you go back to the village!"
"Y-yes..."
The little shepherd boy who was so polite in front of me was nothing but a gentle sheep in front of a vampire. The boy, looking a bit deflated, glanced this way and headed toward the village.
Colley, having sent the boy and the dog back, plopped down on the ground. As expected of a dog beastman, her sitting posture was exactly the same as Azhi's.
"So? The message you have to deliver?"
"An unidentified fugitive appeared from Black Valley Village. After witnessing him stealing food, the village chief went out to subdue him, but..."
"Meaning he lost, right? I guess he's not an important figure for nothing. What else besides that?"
"What do you mean, what else...?"
"Appearance, or the abilities he uses. Things you need to know to chase him."
It wasn't an intended meeting, but that made it all the more of an opportunity.
I felt it earlier too, but I can't escape from Colley anyway. Shepherd dog beastman vampire. Escaping from her, who gets tired from not running more than from running, would be no different from becoming a plaything.
So what I have to do, as always, is to deceive.
"In his late 30s? A man who looked slightly older than me. He was wearing a hooded robe, perhaps to hide his appearance. After fighting with Village Chief Bilitear, he quickly fled outside the village. It was my first time seeing someone so fast.... Though of course, not as fast as Colley-nim."
"How did a mere human beat Bilitear?"
"I'm not sure either. The fight took place inside the village chief's cabin. However, the village chief said he had the power to dig into the ground. Was it Earth Arts?"
Let's fabricate.
I used Druidism along with Earth Arts, but if I mention that I have two abilities, the opponent will become conscious of my moves. Let me just subtly show the 10 of Spades and make the opponent misunderstand.
"Digging holes? Awoo. It's gotten annoying. I have to check underground too."
Just as expected. I have no intention of digging into the ground, but the opponent will have no choice but to be conscious of my (supposedly) only ability, Earth Arts.
"Anything else?"
"I'm not sure if this will help, but the village chief sent this..."
I took a piece of cut blanket from my bosom. Knowing of Mokingen Colley's existence, I had gone back and secretly brought it before leaving.
"It's a blanket from the place he stayed. He told me there would be a scent left on it."
Of course, it was Hilde's blanket, not mine.
Colley moved like lightning. While I hesitated, the blanket fragment was already in Colley's mouth. She sniffed and caught the faint lingering scent.
"Bilitear. Not bad."
"Ah! Since Colley-nim is a dog beastman, you'll be able to find him by scent! I forgot about that!"
"Awoo. I can't smell very well. But I'm not the only one."
Right? Thank goodness. I was worried she might actually go find Hilde, or figure out my strangely remaining scent.
Colley, who was fiddling with the blanket fragment, suddenly held it out to Azhi.
"King. Maybe this."
"Sniff sniff. Woof?"
"Can you find the owner of the scent...?"
"Woof! Here!"
Having smelled the scent, Azhi whipped her head around and suddenly started patting my foot with her front paw. My body instantly tensed up. If it's Azhi, the King of Dogs, she would have smelled not only my scent but also Hilde's scent. Is she going to reveal all of that?
"Woof woof! Woof woof woof!"
Thank goodness. Azhi isn't one to explain things by speaking at length like that. Colley spoke as if she hadn't really expected it either.
"She's the one who brought it... Awoo. Whatever. I was stupid. Even if she knew, she wouldn't particularly help."
Colley sprang up and jumped lightly. Lightly passing over my head, Colley looked back at me and Azhi and spoke.
"I have many hunting dogs by my side. If I let them smell it, they'll find him in no time. Your scent might confuse things, so go back to the village... no."
'Since the King seems to like that human, I should leave him to her for a bit. It'd be annoying if he wanders around carelessly and attacks my Yeirling.'
"Take care of the King. If the King is there, no dangerous things will happen to a human."
"Huh? Where?"
"Anywhere!"
Colley answered as if annoyed and left the spot. In the brief moment I took my eyes off her, Colley had already become a gust of wind running far away. Toward the shepherd's outpost on the misty plateau.
Things went better than expected. Meeting Colley was Azhi's fault when you think about it, but thanks to that, explaining was easy, and I also gained the discretion to move freely.
Above all, I got a reliable bodyguard.
"Hey. Azhi."
"Woof?"
"How did you get all the way here?"
"Woof!"
Azhi patted my feet with her front paw. Did she chase after me? Well, if it's Azhi, she would remember my scent too. Above all, we still have a "promise" left.
"What about Miss Shea? Weren't you together?"
"Woof? Her? Woof?"
Azhi, tilting her head, didn't harbor a single ounce of doubt. It seemed she didn't know why a regressor was being mentioned here.
How on earth is she managing her? She said she might become a disaster in the future. Then shouldn't she manage her a bit! She has no sense of responsibility as an owner!
Well, thanks to that, something good happened to me. I stroked Azhi's head and said.
"Anyway, it's good to see you."
Azhi's ears perked up. Feeling my touch between her plump ears, Azhi smiled brightly and answered.
"Woof! I'm happy to see you too!"
As expected, dogs are man's best friend. Just having her by my side makes me feel so reassured.
Shepherd dog beastman vampire? Hmph. Azhi is the King of Dogs. She's on a different level. I'm a comrade who went to prison and traveled with the King of Dogs. Plus, we're friends who shared a "promise" racially. She's different from a mere beastman, especially a vampire who serves an Elder as her liege.
I couldn't do it earlier because Colley was watching, but it's possible now. I smirked despicably and whispered.
"Azhi. That one from earlier, right? The dog beastman with black fur."
"Woof? Her?"
"Yeah. If you see her again later, then.... Bite her hard."
If she were human, she wouldn't have been able to bite and would have just stomped her front paws, but coincidentally, the duchy is a nation of vampires. Azhi can bite and twist necks without any restrictions. I just need to walk leisurely after Azhi clears the path.
Heh heh. My inner laughter was short-lived. Azhi tilted her head and barked once.
"Woof! I don't want to!"
"What? Why?"
"She's a friend! I won't bite!"
"No, friend or whatever, she's a vampire! Couldn't you smell the blood?"
"Friend is hurt! Woof! Protect!"
Protect what. She's a vampire! Even if you bite her, she'll resurrect perfectly fine! If you're going to protect someone, protect frail me!
"Hey! Why are you always only half-helpful? Can't you help me completely just once? You're too loose in the head!"
"You lose!"
"Me? I haven't had the capacity until now! I didn't have the strength, so it couldn't be helped! Even so, I've gained some strength this time and have some leeway. I'll keep my promise! I'll keep it, so just help me this once!"
"As if!"
"What's wrong with how I look? Have you seen my power? I'm telling you it's real!"
It didn't seem like Azhi would attack Colley. Well, whatever. I built my plan for this exact scenario.
As fast and agile as Mokingen Colley is, it would take a considerable amount of time to manage this vast mountain range, checking every single burrow. I just need to cross the mountain range with Azhi, taking advantage of Colley's absence. Azhi will take care of minor problems like Yeirlings or wolves.
Azhi's weakness is that she cannot attack humans.... But it doesn't matter, right? Humans in this country are livestock. They won't be able to come stop me.
Hehe. Things will go easily. I moved my steps with a knowing smile.
***
"Hey, Nicol! Long time no see."
"Huh? Uncle Brad! Long time no see!"
"It's been a while. You already look the part of a shepherd! It's about time you got married!"
"Introduce me to a nice and pretty girl from the valley village and say things like that! More importantly, what brings you all the way here?"
"I came by Village Chief Bilitear's orders. A fugitive headed this way. I'm here to inform Colley-nim about that fugitive."
"Huh? Again?"
"Again? You mean there's a fugitive here too? Jeez, is it the season? Why are there so many fugitives?"
"No. Not that, I mean the messenger. The village already sent one, didn't they?"
"Sent? Who?"
"Huumil. You know, the tall, sleek-looking guy."
"What are you talking about? Huumil? There's no one with that name in the village. Above all, why would they send someone else instead of me, who once lived as a shepherd in your village? There's no one who visited here as often as I did."
"Huh? That's weird. He definitely said the village chief sent him.... If that was a lie, then who on earth is that person?"
A liar who wasn't sent by the village yet had the audacity to deceive a vampire. An unidentified male.
The answer was set. The shepherd boy quickly realized the truth and turned his head.
"A fugitive!"