Chapter 5: Grassland Hunter

Dragon Era 510

「Ah, Onii-chan, is that a Behemoth?」
「It is. Been a while since I’ve seen one…」

Pointing at the hulking figure trudging across the vast grassland far below, Yuuki raised her voice.

「We used to eat them often, but it’s been ages lately.」
「They’re tasty, right?」
「Uh… whoops. Yeah.」

I nearly nodded reflexively, then remembered Yuuki was on my head and answered out loud.
I had shifted back to dragon form and was flying with Yuuki riding me.
For stability I’d rather have her on my back, but then the distance makes conversation a chore.

「…It looks so much smaller now.」

I murmured. Even accounting for the distance, the Behemoth below looked awfully small. Of course, it isn’t that their bodies have shrunk, individual differences aside.

I’ve grown.

Judging from my height difference with Nina, my body length now is probably close to ten meters. Still smaller than a Behemoth, but no longer the hopeless size gap it used to be. I was confident I could bring one down even head‑on.

「Hunt it?」
「No. Even if we hunted it here, the two of us couldn’t carry it back… and their numbers have dropped a lot.」

Behemoths are strong and big, but not invincible. Even without me, a handful of Hiiro’s best hunters could take one down. But, as their bulk suggests, they reproduce slowly and take many years to mature. Hunt them at will and they’d be wiped out in no time.

「Okaaay.」
「All right, we’re landing. Hold on.」

Calling to the slightly disgruntled Yuuki, I glided down to our destination and took human form. It was a small village in the grasslands.

「Onii‑chan, where is this?」

Seeing the unfamiliar buildings, Yuuki looked around restlessly.
Their homes are usually made of wood, but what stood before us were tents of animal hair and hide. Not visible from outside, the frames were fashioned from Behemoth bone, designed to be easily taken apart and carried.

「This is the Lycos’ village. There should be someone here who might become an exchange student…」
「Lyco… what?」

Odd. I couldn’t sense anyone in the village. Even peeking into the tents, there was no one. The hearths were still smoldering, so they must have been here just moments ago. Even if they were out, for even the children to be gone was strange.

「Onii‑chan, this!」

Yuuki pointed at the ground, her voice taut.
There were numerous tracks—those of carnivores with sharp claws.

「These were made just now.」

With an unusually serious gaze, Yuuki traced the footprints. On the fine sandy ground, the prints crumbled away easily.
In other words, their makers were likely still nearby—

By the time I sensed their presence, I had already been bowled over by the beasts.

Their four legs, covered in silver fur, bore sharp claws, as if to proclaim them ferocious carnivores. Long, thick legs suited more to endurance than bursts of speed, they would chase prey found by their keen noses to the ends of the earth. Their build was exactly like the wolves I knew, save for one point.

In a pack they pinned me down and, throats rumbling, set their teeth into my arms and shoulders alike.

「S—Stop it!」

I shouted reflexively, but the wolves didn’t stop.
This is bad. At this rate it won’t end with just injuries…!
No helping it—if it’s come to this!

「Hey! Stop it! Sensei is in trouble!」

Just as I was about to play my trump card, a girl’s voice rang out.
At the same time, the ones piled on me sprang away all at once, and Yuuki halted the hand she’d been extending toward her sword.

「Thanks. You saved me, Luka.」

Exhaling in relief, I thanked the girl who’d spoken. Because there’d been no killing intent my reaction had been slow; Yuuki had come within a hair of cutting the kids down.

「You could’ve just forced them off you, Sensei, couldn’t you?」

The girl—Luka—said half in exasperation as she offered me her hand.

「If I did that, I might hurt them. Besides, even when they bite me, it just tickles—it doesn’t hurt.」
「Everyone gets carried away because you’re so kind, Sensei!」

When I took her hand and stood, Luka puffed out her adorable cheeks in displeasure. The gesture was exactly like a human girl’s.
…Except for the fact that her lower body was a wolf’s.

By human standards her features looked fifteen or sixteen. In reality she must have lived longer; with their longer lifespans, they mature more slowly than humans.
Between locks of hair the same silver as her lower pelt, triangular ears perked up. From the waist down she had a wolf’s four legs, and her fluffy tail went pat‑pat as it swayed.

「These kids are the Lycos?」
「Right. Lycos Centaurs.」

I nodded to Yuuki, who looked around at the children whose figures were the spitting image of Luka’s.
Put simply, they’re the wolf version of centaurs: a human upper body attached where a wolf’s neck ought to be. I named them Lycos Centaurs, and like real wolves they lived in packs.

Luka’s little brothers and sisters always leapt at me and nipped the moment they saw me, but they were only playing. Only their lower halves were wolf; their mouths were human, so their fangs weren’t as sharp as real wolves’, nor were their bites strong.

Contrary to the ferocious image wolves have, they were all gentle and friendly—closer to dogs in temperament. We’d been in contact for some time, and when it came to exchange students, they were the first I thought of.

「So then, Sensei—what brings you today?」

Batting away the younger ones who were playing with her swishing tail, Luka asked in a more formal tone.

「Um… I came to invite you to become one of our students, Luka.」
「Really!?」

Come to think of it, I hadn’t even thought about how to broach it.
Even so, at my plain, unadorned words, Luka’s eyes shone.

「Ever since I heard you talk about it, I’ve wanted so much to go to school, Sensei!」

Her tail wagging vigorously, Luka clenched a fist at her chest and pressed on.

「Ah, but…」

But then her tail lost its vigor, and the ears atop her head drooped limply.

「But… I’m sorry, Sensei. I can’t go.」
「Eeh—why not?」

Yuuki raised a dissatisfied voice at Luka, who had drooped her head.

「Because I have to look after these little ones.」

Petting the small heads of her younger brothers and sisters, Luka said sadly.

「…Don’t tell me—your parents…」

Luka nodded to the rest of the words I hesitated to voice.
The Lycos Centaurs form settlements of around ten and live so their territories don’t overlap. The younger ones learn to hunt while being cared for by the elders and eventually form new packs.

By rights, Luka should still be among those being looked after…

「Even so, how could this happen?」

The Lycos Centaurs rank among the strong in the ecosystem. With both a wolf’s strength and a human’s wits, they’re hardly weak.

Of course, this world has dragons, giants, and a countless host stronger still, but even so, both parents dying was not a normal story.

「Lately we haven’t been able to get any food at all, so…」
「Leaving you behind?」
「Yes. They went somewhere far away…」

The tale was so heartrending I pressed my fingers to my brow without thinking.

「So, are you managing to eat properly?」

Luka shook her head.

「We’re hungry…」

The little children held their stomachs and plaintively declared their hunger.

「All right.」

I nodded with resolve.
Nina would probably give me an earful again when I got back, though.

「I’ll be your…」
「We’re home, Luka!」

I was about to say I’d be their parent when a deep voice came from behind.

「Welcome back, Father! Mother!」

Luka’s face lit up, and when I turned, there stood her parents, laden with game. Their travel garb was smeared with sand and dust; it was plain they’d covered a long distance on those legs.

Ah. So when she said they’d gone far away… she meant physically, literally far…

「By the way, Sensei, what were you going to say just now?」
「No, it’s nothing.」

I answered Luka—tilting her head adorably—firmly.