I don’t feel like I miss it very much. Rather, I’m more familiar with this sight. Unfortunately.
But I feel a bit of discomfort with my dog body after a shortwhile. It’s something like the clothes I’m used suddenly does not fit right. As if someone else has worn them. That kind of feeling. I also feel something a bit dirty.
I stretched out my tongue and tried to lick my back. Why? As I thought, my coat feels a bit damp.
[That’s why I told you to be careful not to do misunderstanding things.]
Grandma put me down while I was busy licking my fur clean as she sighed with a fed up face.
[Sorry.]
Alex is feeling down.
When I was kissed by Alex last night on the tower, I panicked and once again turned into a dog…. or so it seemed.
But I did not remember it at all.
According to what Alex taught me, a very strong wind suddenly blew after that and then human me disappeared somewhere when he closed his eyes for a bit, instead the dog me was stretching on the spot.
No matter how much he searched nearby, my human body was nowhere to be found so Alex quickly took my dog body home and an emergency meeting was held at Ferdinand's residence the next morning.
[It seems you did not have the right to reprimand others, Alex. Anyway, I can't let Krish go back with you at this rate. I'll have you hand him over to me.]
Ferdinand looks like he's won for some reasons.
Alex furrowed his eyebrows.
[Alex. How are you going to compensate for turning Krish back into a dog again and losing his human body?]
[….I'm reflecting on it.]
[Then give him to me. From now on, you will give priority to finding Krish's human body. Now that the load has gotten lighter, it will be easier for you to search, right?]
Alex deeply sighed and lifted me.
[For some unknown reason, this guy's body is dirty. he needs to be washed.]
[I understand.]
[Is it okay? You, aren't you bad with dogs?]
That's right.
I was worried about that too.
Back then when I was a dog, he was looking at me with really disgusted eyes.
[No problem.]
[Alex-sama.]
Suddenly, the voice of the black-clothed old man, Fockel-san, came from the side.
[During your talk on Krish-sama, please let me take care of him. Over here, please.]
Alex hugged me tightly once more and whispered "I'm sorry" in a small voice before handing me over to Fockel-san.
[What do you think about Krish's disappearance?]
Ferdinand faced the grandma and asked.
[Yeah. I'm clear of one thing this time.]
Grandma took a sip from her tea before speaking.
[I thought before that this guy's dog body got lost, but that didb't seem to be the case. The reason why this guy's body is dirty must be because he's been in the forest all those times.]
[The forest…?]
Alex mutters.
[Yeah. Just how on earth did his dog body arrive in the forest when he'd turned back into human at the mansion? ……Well, there area few reasons I can of regarding that but I'm not certain. Anyway, thinking from there, his human body most probably hasn't disappeared. I a.s.sume that his human body is either in the forest or somewhere within the city.]
[I got it. We'll make sure to find it and bring it back.]
Alex says.
[Naturally.]
Ferdinand responds.
[I will head to the station form a search party immediately. I plan to take 2 people from your squad and one each from Deederick's and Bonefirth's(read as bo-ne) squads respectively. We're gonna explore the Dawndyl forest and around the tower, and ask the residents in the surrounding area. Alex, you go directly to the forest. I will lead the whole operation. I will talk to the higher ups properly.]
[I got it….Thanks.]
[JUst to make sure, it would be better to extend the search range to the kingdom. I'll write a request letter to the garrison of the capital and keep the seaport and the harbor down.]
Alex nods on Ferdinand's words.
Grandma slowly stood up.
[Well then, I guess this old woman will also do some divination to search for this guys body.
[Yeah. I'll leave that to you.]
Alex held the door open for grandma who's about to leave the room, and then he turned to Ferdinand.
[I'm going on ahead.]
Then Alex looked at me who's being held on Fockel-san's arms with a sad face.
[Please wait for me. I'll be sure to find your body and bring it back.]
My chest squeezed and it hurt.
Even though it's not Alex's fault.
When the door closed with a click, only me, Ferdinand and Fockel-san were left.
Ferdinand looked at me gently.
His hands twitched, but he did nothing and remained standing.
….Uhmm?
When I tilted my head, Ferdinand took a deep breath.
[FFerdinand-sama.]
Fockel-san calls.
[What is it?]
[I have heard that you're going to search for Krish-sama's body, does that mean you're ending your vacation?]
[That's right. I'm heading to the station immediately.]
[I understand.]
[……Krish's body must be washed off.]
[I understand. Please leave it to me.]
Ferdinand once again stretched his hands but in the end, he gripped them as if giving up and dropped them down again.
[….I'll leave him to you.]
[Please have a safe trip.]
When Fockel-san lowered his head, Ferdinand headed towards the entrance as if giving up.
Just before leaving the room, when Ferdinand looked back for a moment, Fockel-san grabbed my forefoot and waved it left or right like a goodbye.
This chapter is unedited.
２６ Benjamin And I
When Fockel-san was left alone, he went out of the room and walked while still carrying me.
I’ve been wondering for some time now, but Fockel-san’s way of holding me is weird. His hands are both placed under my armpits, as if I’m being hanged1. This is a bit uncomfortable.
As I was swaying while hanging down, Fockel-san headed to the first floor.
At that time, a black shadow crossed the elongated gla.s.s window beside the entrance. Then, I heard a sound of banging and thumping, as if something is being hit.
Fokel-san placed me on the floor at once and opened the gla.s.s window. from there, a brown bird the size of a pigeon jumped in. Its beak looks sharp and it looks like a hawk.
The bird landed on Fockel-san’s stretched out arm.
Fockel-san took a piece of paper tied on the bird’s leg with familiarity and read it. After he finished reading, he placed the letter in his pocket and gave the bird something that looked like food and then released it back out.
The bird flew somewhere.
[It’s gotten weak.]
Fockel-san silently muttered while looking at me.
He once again picked me up the same way he was holding me and walked along the hallway. And the place we suddenly stopped to was the kitchen. Beyond the open door, I see something made of a large workbench or brick. The other side of the kitchen seems to be a backyard, and from the window and the back door I saw some trees growing with their branches on the green lawn.
There was someone in the backyard.
I can’t really tell who he was because his back was facing us, but the cuffs on his white shirt are rolled up. He seems to be washing something. Vegetable that look like potatoes were stacked up near him like a mountain.
When Fockel-san entered the kitchen and went out to the backyard, he called out to the man.
[Benjamin.]
[Yeah?]
The working man stopped what he’s doing and turned around. He looks like a young man with short hair and tanned skin. His eyes look strict.
[Are you washing them?]
[Yeah, I’m almost done.]
[Is that so. I’m sorry but could you also include this person, too?]
Fockel-san showed me to the man.
[….What’s with that?]
[He’s Krrish-sama.]
The man stared me with a shocked face.
[Krish(he meant clothes here)? Isn’t that a dog?]
[A dog. Appearance-wise.]
The man’s face who seemed to have noticed something stiffened, and then ir gradually turned sharp.
[Hey, could this guy be that? He’s that, that Ferdinand dude’s2…]
[That is correct.]
Fockel-san affirmed with a nod.
[Unfortunately indeed, I have something that I couldn’t leave no matter what. I had to give Krish-san a bath but I was at a loss for lack of hands. It was a good timing that I found you.]
Fockell-san was pushing me against the guy. The man reflexively caught me.
[Wait wait wait, stop fooling around. Why is it me? What’s that Dirk guy doing?]
[I can’t leave that to him. Because inside this is the person Ferdinand-sama treasures the most. Well then, I’ll leave it at that.]
[Wa, wait!]
[Ah, that’s right. Krish-sama might be a dog, but he’s human inside. He understands all the spoken words. Do not let accidents happen.]
[Wha!]
[Krish-sama.]
Fockel-san turned to me.
[My apologies for being unable to take care of you. You must never leave this man’s side.]
[Oi, Fockel!]
[With this…]
Fockel-san swiftly left to the kitchen as if running away. Meanwhile, the mean-eyed guy and I were left alone.
….Uhhh, was his name Benjamin?
[That old man..!]
Despite the curse, Benjamin gently lowered me to the ground.
[Hey, you, dog, wait. Don’t move from there. Ah no, he said you can understand words. Be good and don’t move. You understand?!]
I obediently nodded repeatedly.
[s.h.i.t.]
Benjamin while cursing put the water he had drawn into the cleaned basin and added hot water boiled from the pot. He repeatedly checked the temperature with his hand.
I also tried putting my paw in from the side.
Oh, it’s a bit hotter but it feels good.
[You idiot, what will you do if you get scalded?]
I got scolded by Benjamin.
After confirming the temperature a number of times, Benjamin picked me up and placed me on the basin.
Ooh, it’s a bath.
the water is so warm it feels good.
[You, why are you this dirty?]
Benjamin squatted down and using the hot water, he bubbled the soap and started washing my body.
Although Benjamin’s face looks scary and his way of speaking is rough, his hands movements are gentle. Like to prevent the water or the bubbles from entering my ears, I can tell that he’s being careful. as his fingers strongly rubbed against my belly to wash it, I sighed. He might be better than Kenneth at washing. After being rinsed over and over again, I was taken out from the basin.
When I shook my body, it dried up. As I thought, shaking is amazing.
[Wah!]
Some of the water must have flown to him as he frowned.
[You, don’t do that in such a place. Wait a moment.]
Benjamin who left the place came back at once with a cloth and he started wiping me with it.
AFter wiping me dry, Benjamin once again put me on top of the gra.s.s.
[I will return to work now so don’t get in my way. Also, don’t leave this place witout my permission. Do you get what I’m saying? If you do then give me a reply!]
I reply with a bark in a panic.
[…..So he’s seriously able to understand human words.]
Benjamin muttered in awe.
[Play however you want.]
Benjamin said so to me as he returned to the chair and once again faced the potatoes.
I was sitting and watching what he’s doing.
Somehow, there’s a lot of potatoes. It looks like it’s gonna be hard to peel them.
If I were in my human body, I could’ve helped him out, though.
I look at my paws.
Run, I can. Grip, I can’t
If he’s fine with using my mouth, will I be able to peel the potatoes?
As I thought, it won’t work.
Since it can’t be helped, I gathered the skins Benjamin has peeled off that has fallen to the ground in one place.
Benjamin looked at me who was gathering the skin strangely, but when the stack of skin has gotten bigger, he finally said something.
[Perhaps, are you trying to help me with that?]
Yes! That’s correct!
I cried a bark and wagged my tail
[….Is that so.]
Benjamin entered the kitchen once more and came back with a bag clogged with bread roll.
[There is a fabric inside this. I need to rok on this one right now but, can you roll this bag instead?
I’ll give it a try.
I barked as a reply.
I rolled the bag that I got on the ground with my feet. The bag rolled around smoothly.
Yes! I can do this one!
Tei~i, korokorokoro. (TN: I think this doesn’t really mean anything. First part is probably like an expression, the second one is a sfx of rolling.)
I will try using my head this time.
Tei~i, korokorokoro.
Ah, it rolled too much.
I hurriedly stopped it with my feet.
This might be fun.
[….You, don’t get dirty.]
As Benjamin was watching me while peeling on the side, I continued rolling the bag around.
1 – It’s like how that monkey held Simba up in Lion King for all of you guys who doesn’t get it.
2- i’m torn between dude and b.a.s.t.a.r.d so I just went with the less rude one.